County Council approves public safety CAGIT

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

After months of discussion, a plan to fund a $960,000 upgrade to the county's 911 dispatch software has come together.

On Tuesday, the Putnam County Council approved a County Adjusted Gross Income Tax (CAGIT) for public safety at a rate of .25 percent.

The move will bring an estimated $1.5 million into the county annually, to be distributed to Putnam County and its six municipalities, with the county receiving around $90,000.

The burden on county taxpayers will be around $70 per $30,000 of income. This will be softened by coming tax decreases from the state.

"Yes, we're going to increase taxes, but the state's going to decrease taxes so it's almost a washout," Councilman Larry Parker said. "We have to do this. It's for public safety."

The commissioners recently approved financing for the project through North Salem State Bank, a 10-year loan at a rate of 2.5 percent.

The county will use part of its CAGIT funding to pay back the loan.

The new funds are not limited to 911 uses, as they can be used for other public safety needs such as police and fire protection.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: