OTTAWA — The Ottawa City Commission voted Monday to publish a budget that includes a 2.7-mill increase in the city’s property tax levy. City finance director Scott Bird said the hike is designed to deal with expected increases in fuel and other expenses and to build up the reserves. Once the budget is published, the city can’t raise the proposed tax rate but can reduce the proposed tax increase, said city manager Richard Nienstedt. It often happens that city commissioners reduce the proposed tax increase following the public hearing, which will be 7 p.m. Aug. 3 at city hall, he said. In addition, the city and county will host an experimental “come and go” budget roundtable that will allow taxpayers to quiz individual department heads about their budgets. That will be 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the county annex.
Tuesday, July 19, 1 p.m.
