Officials are considering the creation of a special assessment district that would allow the city to tax its property owners up to 5 mills a year to pay for fire services. It would cost the owner of a home with a market value of $200,000 up to $500 a year, depending on the millage rate officials set.
Charlotte City Council could vote to move forward with the assessment district on April 26, Charlotte Mayor Michael Armitage said.
During a City Council meeting on Monday, more than a dozen residents voiced opposition to the district's creation, urging officials to look for other ways to save money in the city's approximately $5.4 million general fund budget.
But the district's creation could be the quickest way for city officials to address a serious financial shortfall of at least $500,000 a year by this summer, said Armitage.