There will

be no increase in the tax millage rate this year in Union City. According

to Union City City Councilmen last Tuesday night, the city of Union City

had an increased growth of $18.67 million which represents 40 percent

of the assessed value on the total increase in the tax digest.

City Administrator

Alan Grindstaff says that the increase is due to growth in new construction

and reassessments by the county of property in the city.

"It has

been determined that due to the cost of providing services to our citizens

that the city's millage rate for the year 2003 will remain at 7.5 mills",

he adds.

The law requires

that when a city or county has an increase in their tax digest that taxpayers

of the city or county must be notified through public hearing of increase

if there is not a rollback in assessed taxes. When assessing the available

revenue needed to provide services to its citizenry, the governing body

must consider whether or not it is feasible to rollback the millage rate

equal to the amount that the City's tax digest has grown or increased.

Of the 7.5

mills, 4.5 mills go toward the operations of the general fund and 3 mills

are designated to retire the City's 1997 general obligation bond that

was approved by the citizens of Union City in a bond referendum in 1997

for capital improvement throughout the city.