September 24th, 2024 by WCBC Radio

A caller to WCBC had the chance to ask Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss about the city/county tax differential.  The tax differential accounts for duplication of services in the city and Allegany County.  Property assessments have risen for local residents, and Morriss said it has good and bad effects…

“There’s a good side and a bad side of that – it’s a double-edged sword. It’s telling everyone that their property’s gone up in value and they have more equity in their home than they did before, but it also because of the tax rate, it causes the actual dollar amount to go up each year.”

The mayor also talked about how the rate of inflation is driving costs upward for both the city and the county…

“If you look at the inflation rate over the last 3 to 4 years, you know we’re paying more for our electricity and we’re paying more for our fuel and everything for the city’s vehicles and things like that. So I think everyone needs to understand that’s what’s driving the costs up more than anything is simply the inflation in the country.”