Worcester County Commissioners advertised this week for a 15.7 cent increase in the county’s property tax rate. The current rate is 77 cents per $100 of assessed property value. The advertised increase will yield a rate of 92.7 cents.

As reported by The Dispatch,

The Worcester County Commissioners agreed Tuesday to advertise for an increase of 15.7 cents per $100 of assessment. That’s what it would take to fund the county’s $22 million budget shortfall. Requested operating expenditures for FY 2016 come to $189.8 million, while revenues are only expected to reach $167.5 million in the coming year.

“We have to advertise the difference between the money we have available and the budget request,” Commissioner Bud Church said.

Although this amount was advertised, commissioners have indicated that the increase will not actually be that high.

“I do believe there’s going to be a tax increase but I think it will be between three and four cents,” Church said. “That’s just a guess. We’re mandated to advertise our projected budget and that’s what we’ve done.”

Church said county officials would not fund every one of the budget requests made by county departments.

Commissioner Chip Bertino agreed. He said that being a taxpayer himself, he was going to try to find ways to cut costs so that residents wouldn’t face a substantial tax increase.

“I’m going to work hard so that it’s not that high,” he said.