Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Jessamine County tax payers could see an increase in their bills this year, after the Fiscal Court approved the first reading of its tax rates recently.

The court voted during its Sept. 1 meeting to take the rate to generate a 4-percent increase in revenue, Jessamine County Judge-Executive David West said.

The new rate amounts to a 1 cent increase, from 8.1 cents per $100 value to 9.1 cents, he said. For a $100,000 house, the difference would be about $10.

West said the new rate would generate an additional $150,000 for the county, should it be approved following a second reading.

Even so, West said Jessamine still has one of the lowest property tax rates in the region. He cited Anderson County with a rate of 12.9 cents per $100 value, and Madison County with 8 cents for property plus 5 cents for the ambulance service for a total of 13 cents, he said.

The 4-percent rate is the highest rate allowed that is not subject to a recall vote, according to state statute.

West said Jessamine County, like every other county, continues to see mandatory contributions to the pension program increase. Though it was suspended this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, West said the county is still facing $320,000 in pension contributions, which will increase annually for the next four years.

The court is scheduled to vote on the second reading of the tax rates during the Sept. 29 meeting.

In other action, the court voted to accept a $250,000 grant from the federal Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program to purchase new radios for the Nicholasville Fire Department.

“The city fire department is good about providing services if we had a chemical storage event at the (Blue Grass Army) Depot,” West said.

West said the county administers the CSEPP program, and the grant does not require a match.