With an approximate 15% increase in property tax asking Washington County’s budget has been approved for next fiscal year.

Cyndie Sinn, IT Director of the County, said the total assessed valuations went up about 4% and taxable valuations went up about 6.26%. She explained where some of the increases were, “The biggest increases were in the mental health levy and the debt service levy. The board can speak better to why those went up, but basically the mental health, from my perception was, the region was offering more services so therefore the tax asking was going back up a little in that fund. And on the debt service side we’re levying a 50-cent per $1,000 debt service levy on the communications equipment which is a new project.” The mental health and disability services levy went from 0.24285 to 0.56627, an increase of about 133.2%. Unanimously the Washington County Board of Supervisors approved the budget that runs from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019.