By Ryan Clark
NKyTribune reporter
Keeping taxes low is actually making money for the City of Covington, so it’s going to stay that way.
For the fifth consecutive year, the city’s finance department has recommended that Covington’s taxes for real and personal property remain unchanged: .327 upon each $100 valuation of assessed or assessable real property; and .349 upon each $100 valuation of all assessed or assessable personal property.
City Commissioners heard a first reading of the proposal at their regularly scheduled legislative meeting Tuesday night.
Last week, commissioners and finance representatives explained that by keeping the taxes low and unchanged they are actually making money — about $300,000 when you factor in the number of people who are improving properties or outright rehabbing them.
The low taxes attract buyers, who then come into the city to make improvements to the area. The implication is that everyone wins, which seems to be the case so far.
The proposed order will have a second reading and an official vote in two weeks.
Commissioners move forward with more Orchard Park development
Commissioners voted 3-1 to move forward with more development for Orchard Park, including redevelopment of five more properties in the Westside neighborhood, including:
318 Berry
311-313 Berry
1108 Locust
1110 Locust
301-3 Orchard
On March 23, the city issued an RFP looking for developers. They received five responses, and a selection committee made up of economic development and neighborhood services staff ranked the submissions.
Ken Smith, interim city manager and neighborhood services director, reported last week that the committee selected the Neighborhood Development Collective, a group made up of local residents, to move forward with the development of the remaining five properties.
The developers include:
Joe Stevie
Jordan Huizenga
Tyler Watkins & Melissa Baird
Christine Wesdorp
Tom Covert
Nic Manning
Clyde Kessen
Developers are planning on investing at least $250,000 into each of the properties — sometimes up to $460,000 — to convert the sites into mixed-use or family homes. Smith said the total investment could bring 11 new home ownership units, the rehabilitation of four historic buildings, a total purchase price of $249,500, an estimated $3.8 million investment in rehab and construction, and an increase in taxable property value of up to $5.3 million.
Mayor Joseph U. Meyer said last week that he was pleased with the locals’ creativity.
“These are some really great ideas,” he said. “Part of what is so exciting is that we have so many people who are already invested in Covington and investing in this part of the community. These are all Covington people, invested in the neighborhood already, ready to take it to the next level.”
Commissioner Michelle Williams was the lone dissenting voter.
Police hired
Commissioners approved the hiring of two new officers, Nicolette Brown, and Trent Webster, which brings the office numbers up to 108 officers.
Dog legislation discussed
Near the end of the meeting, Commissioner Tim Downing brought up the topic of legislation involving dogs, specifically legislation that involves certain breeds of dogs.
He wondered why some city ordinances concern only certain breeds. City officials said that in the future, they would provide some context so they could all look at the topic more closely.