Florence Mayor Stephen Wukela says when you get your property tax bill in the coming weeks, it will be down by 52 percent.
Mayor Wukela says the decrease is the result of an increase in local option sales tax revenues.
"Years ago, the City of Florence passed this local option sales tax to generate revenue from sales in the City of Florence with the idea that hopefully largely those sales would come from folks outside the county, outside the city, and likely many folks from outside the state. The idea was to use those revenues as often as possible to decrease the property tax burden on the taxpayers," Mayor Wukela explained.
The 5.5 mill tax cut will equate to about $20 on a $100,000 home.
Mayor says the reduction is helping families as we emerge from the recession.
"People are still in the grips of this recession, are still living week to week. And the city understands that to the extent that we can provide any amount of tax relief and still maintain the tools necessary to have growth by the city in the economy and job growth, that we need to do that and maintain that balance."
Wukela says Florence's 56.7 millage rate is lowest property tax rate in the state.
"I think that's an impressive accomplishment by the city. And I think it further establishes that any discussion of tax rates in the City of Florence being out of proportion are more based on politics than they are in reality."
Mayor Wukela adds lower property taxes and an increase in sales tax revenues are signs Florence is growing.
