Piedmont considering tax increase

The Piedmont City Council may become the lastest council to increase sales taxes to help meet a budget shortfall.  

In a Thursday budget committee meeting council members said the city will struggle to collect enough money to make ends meet in the next budget year, which begins in October. It will call on departmental leaders to reduce expenditures by $600,000, consider the sales tax increase to raise about $350,000, then shift $1.2 million from the city's utility budget to collect enough money for the city to remain operational in 2015.

If approved by vote later, the total sales tax paid in Piedmont would increase to 10 cents from 9 cents. Currently, the county collects a 1 cent sales tax, the state collects a 4 cent sales tax and the city collects a 4 cent sales tax.

If the council's plan works, council members said, the city will have $4.6 million in revenue, and its expenses will match that sum. It is still in the process of developing its budget, which will later come before the City Council for a vote.