The City of Trenton set its tentative millage rate at Monday’s meeting.
The City Commission voted to set the tentative rate at 3.75 mills, an increase from last year’s rate of 3.5 mills.
Commissioners can lower the rate between now and the final budget hearing, but they cannot raise the rate.
Commissioner Randy Rutter, who proposed the tentative rate, said the city needed some wiggle room to work with in the budget.
The city’s projections showed keeping the rate at 3.5 mills left the city in a deficit.
City Manager Brittany Mills said there was “not a lot of fluff” that could be cut out of the budget.
The tentative fire assessment was set at $229, and the garbage pickup rate will increase by 3 percent. Mills said this was reflective of an increase that WastePro is putting on the city.
Rates for water and sewer are also set to increase. Rutter said the media increase should be around $15 per month.
The Herald will have more on Trenton’s tax rates and budget in next week’s paper with an interview with City Manager Brittany Mills.
Trenton will update its signage where you enter the city.
The panels that say the city was established in 1883 will be removed, and that verbage will be moved to the main sign.
The panels will be replaced with panels that recognize Major League Baseball players Wyatt Langford and Marty Malloy.
Mills said she received a quote for all of these changes that totals $5,942.