SEBASTIAN – The Sebastian City Council voted to keep the same 3.8 percent tax rate as last year as property values continue to soar.

City officials also hope to reduce it by their first budget hearing scheduled for September.

As it stands now, the $3.80 is per $1,000 of assessed value.

The Council agreed 3-2 to set the $3.80 maximum tax rate, with Councilmen Jim Hill and Ed Dodd voting against it.

Hill and Dodd fought to approve the rollback rate of $3.50 per $1,000 of assessed value.

“It seems that council members [Bob] McPartlan and [Andrea] Coy are hell bent on getting taxes as high as they can without reason. They have done the same over the last several years and I have tried to stop them to no avail. Hopefully, I can stop them this time. The budget balances with a tax cut but these two just love spending tax payer dollars,” Hill told Sebastian Daily.

The Sebastian City Council could lower the proposed tax rate before they finalize it in September, but they cannot raise it.

Signup for the free Sebastian Daily newsletter for your chance to win free dinners and merchandise!