The Fayette County Board approved a sizable increase in the FY ’26 Tax Levy at their meeting on Thursday night.
A Truth in Taxation Hearing was held before the monthly meeting, with information on why the 24% increase is needed and that the county would lose other funding if they do not make the increase. County Administrator Dustin Harmon with Bellwether said the reason for the need in the increase is because county property values are going up and it is also being driven by the housing market and higher prices being paid for properties. Harmon says without the increase the county could miss out on some funds from the state and federal governments.
During the meeting, three items were removed from the consent agenda to be voted on separately–those were the approval of the FY ’26 budget, the budget appropriations ordinance and the Tax Levy ordinance that called for the 24% increase in the tax levy. Those three matters were voted on as one and passed by a vote of 9 to 3 with board members Pat Click and Michael Butts being absent from the meeting and board members Mike Black, Scott Workman and Dan Lutz voting No. After the meeting, Black and Workman explained the reason for their No vote.
Harmon did point out the County only makes up about 10% of a property tax bill. So, you would be looking at about a 2.4% increase in your property tax bill from last night’s tax levy increase approval. Other taxing bodies make up the vast majority of the property tax bill.
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