The Burns Harbor
Town Council met Wednesday to hold a public hearing on reestablishing its
Cumulative Capital Development (CCD) Tax Rate up from 0.0397 to 0.04 cents
per $100 of assessed valuation.
The CCD rate is
reestablished every four years. Clerk-treasurer Jane Jordan said at the last
Council meeting that slight increases in the rate at each renewal help
ensure that fluctuations in the Town’s assessed valuation (AV) don’t short
the CCD fund. Council member Toni Biancardi said the proposed increase would
add $1,764 to the fund annually for the next four years.
A resolution
establishing the new rate will be advertised and the public will have 30
days to comment.
The Council also
voted to waive a party affiliation requirement for town park boards to allow
three of the four seats on the Burns Harbor Park Board to be filled by
Republicans amid a shortage of applicants for board seats.
The Council met
only to conduct essential town business, using Gov. Eric Holcomb’s
directives on public meetings amid the novel coronavirus COVID-19 that allow
board members to participate virtually while at least one member is present.
Present Wednesday were Jordan, Town Council President Nick Loving, and Town
Attorney Clay Patton. The rest of the council members and three department
heads (Fire Chief Bill Arney, Building Commissioner Rob Wesley, and Police
Chief Mike Heckman) joined by conference call.
Biancardi noted all
Burns Harbor Town offices are closed to the public indefinitely and park
rentals are suspended following state and federal advice for local
governments and citizens to practice social distancing to prevent the spread
of COVID-19.