The attached presentation includes an 8% Tax Levy increase. On page 34, it shows the projected 2013 Municipal Tax Levy as $53,454,787. On page 7, the 2012 Tax Levy appears as $49,527,772. This is an increase of $ 3,927,015 or 7.92%.

The presentation confuses appropriations and tax levy and calls the increase 2.99%. Unfortunately, the council and manager are impervious to anyone pointing out an error.

A friend noticed something that partially explains the difference mentioned above. The 2013 Municipal Tax Levy - $53,454,787 includes the Library Tax whereas the 2012 Tax Levy - $49,527,772 did not. It was listed separately as $1,938,189. If this is removed from the proposed 2013 amount it reduces the tax levy increase to 4%.

There is still no justification for the 2.99% listed in the presentation.

A last update ...

At tonight's council meeting during Good & Welfare a member of the public used the numbers I had originally presented and referred to the 8% increase. Feeling a need to correct it immediately rather than wait till Thursday's Budget meeting, I provided my revised arithmetic with the 4% Tax Levy increase. I again said the presentation's 2.99% was incorrect.

After Good & Welfare the manager spoke to this and claimed he never said there was a 2.99% Tax Levy Increase. As dialogue is not permitted, I placed a copy of the page from the presentation in from of him,

Much to my surprise, later during the meeting, he came back to the subject and acknowledged that the presentation did say the projected Tax Levy increase was 2.99% and that had been an error..