by Eren Tataragasi

DAVIDSON – The town’s property tax rate will remain unchanged in fiscal year 2012-13 at 35 cents per $100 of assessed value, but solid waste fees will rise for some.

The town board unanimously approved the town’s 2012-13 budget during a workshop meeting Tuesday, June 26, which includes a rate increase for multi-family units in town, as well as a reduction in the town’s contribution to MI-Connection.

Town finance director Cindy Jones said the solid waste fee increase is because existing fees are not enough to cover expenses.

She said the fees did not cover the Dumpsters and this year the town’s provider, Waste Republic, has levied a 5 percent fuel surcharge and an increase in tipping fees.

Jones said the town will also provide two recycling roll carts at each Dumpster location of multi-family units this year.

“With all of those things in consideration, we’re proposing for most multi-family units a $15 increase …,” Jones said.

The fees will now range from $72 to $100 for multi-family units.

Jones added some multi-family unit residents will see a bit more of an increase because “we charged so much less than what it cost to service them.”

Additionally, Mecklenburg County failed to bill $60,000 in fees to Davidson residents in 2011, so in August, they’ll be sending a bill for the 2011 fees, and one for the 2012 solid waste fees.

“I think it’s a good thing we took an extra two weeks to figure this out,” Commissioner Connie Wessner said.

“And for those who feel like this is double billing, we feel we needed to run by the books and this is the right way to do that,” Commissioner Jim Fuller said.

The other major change to the budget was the town’s contribution to MI-Connection, the broadband company owned by Mooresville and Davidson.

When the budget was originally presented in April the town was slated to contribute more than $2 million, but that has since been reduced to $1 million.

As a result the town no longer has to use $325,000 from its fund balance and can appropriate a 5 percent contingency fund, limited by general statute to $408,000, and add $353,000 to the town’s capital fund, “to be determined later how you wish to spend it.”

“The issues around the MI interlocal agreement play a positive step for us budget-wise and allows us breathing room to do capital projects,” Mayor John Woods said. “I think during our mid-year retreat we’ll have serious budget discussions about issues that have been put off before for several years now and can consider the idea of using some of those funds for that purpose while we reconstitute our fund balance.”

The council’s next meeting has been moved from July 10 to July 17 and will be at a site to be determined as the runoff primary will be that same evening at town hall.