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Lynchburg officials, citizens react to proposed city budget

LYNCHBURG, Va. โ€“ Lynchburg homeowners will be paying less in real estate taxes, after a new rate of 89 cents was approved by the City Council on Tuesday night, and some are reacting to what this could mean for the proposed budget.

โ€œWhat we did yesterday was set the real estate tax rate at 89 centsโ€šโ€ Lynchburg City Council member Jeff Helgeson said. โ€œHistorically, itโ€™s been at $1.11 for far too long.โ€

Meanwhile, during the public hearing, some voiced concerns about what less taxpayer revenue could mean for city departments, such as education.

โ€œWe really going to tell teachers that their salary for next year donโ€™t even cover a cost of living adjustment,โ€ one citizen said during public comment. โ€œWe ask City Council and the City Managerโ€™s office to go back to the drawing board and do better.โ€

โ€œFor far too long the educational bureaucracy has just wanted more money that went to the administration,โ€ Helgeson said.

Another topic of concern for some was how much money will go to law enforcement.

Attorney General Jason Miyares released a statement criticizing the council Tuesday saying cutting law enforcement funds will put citizens at risk.

โ€œVirginiaโ€™s crime wave has not spared Lynchburg, it is one of my officeโ€™s Ceasefire Cities,โ€ Miyares said.

Meanwhile, Helgeson and a few other council members said public safety cuts are not coming.

โ€œWeโ€™re going to focus the extra revenue actually on public safety, where everyone has campaigned on and said thatโ€™s a concern,โ€ Helgeson said.

Helgeson said the Lynchburg City Council will continue working on the budget in coming weeks, with the final vote expected around June.