Danville Mayor Scott Eisenhauer has floated a plan that would pay-off the city’s one-hundred-five-million dollar pension debt over the next twenty years. His proposal notes Danville is currently using property taxes and a police and fire pension fee to fund the police and fire pension debt. ‘’So is there a way to use those same two revenue sources – and only those two revenue sources – and do it in a way for those who are paying more in property tax to pay less in the Public Safety Pension Fee, and vice-versa? Those not paying as much in property tax would pay more in a Public Safety Pension Fee,’’ said Eisenhauer.
The Mayor outlined his proposal during a city council committee meeting last evening (Tuesday). He gave an example of how the proposal could impact a homeowner. ‘’If you have an EAV (equalized assessed value of your home) somewhere, let’s say in the $8,000 range – then you would have a property tax increase of approximately 10-percent from what you had a year ago. But then you would also have a Public Safety Pension Fee increase where the total would be somewhere around – let’s say $110 for a total increase over a year ago. But it would eliminate the $96 that you’re paying in the Public Safety Pension Fee now, plus whatever the past payment in your property tax was.’’
The Mayor noted a home with a fair market value of $60-thousand dollars…with an assessed value of $20,000 (without any exemptions) would see the property owner pay $30 more under his proposal. That homeowner would also pay $25 for the public safety pension fee instead of the current $8 a month fee. City Council member Rickey Williams Jr. says he just wants to make it as fair as possible. And Williams adds having seniors pay $10.75 more a month is not outrageous. But Alderman Mike O’Kane says it may be hard to swallow for people living in rental property if they end up having to pay more.
