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City Council Minutes September 13, 2000 Page 4 There was no one to speak at the public hearing, and the public hearing was declared closed. Mayor Pfiester declared the public hearing on the proposed calendar year 2000 City of Paris Tax Rate. Charles Taylor, 830 Paradise Drive, appeared before the City Council questioning the rate increase after going over the figures. Mr. Taylor said the tax valuation is $1,610,436,524.00 and last year it was $1,343,111,679.00. Mr. Taylor said last year's tax exempt property was $731,933,903.00 and it is dropping to $605,178,966.00 for this year and pointed out that there is a gain of about 17% for it. Mr. Taylor said the Appraisal District went up on everyone's property, but since the 1980's the tax valuation was $331,876,667.00 in the City of Paris and twenty year later is $1,610,436,424.00 and we have gone from the exempt of $27,418,773.00 to $605,178,966.00, and said he would like to know where this exempt status is, who is getting exempt. Gene Anderson, Director of Finance, came forward advising that exemption is made up of Veteran Disability Exemptions, Senior Citizens Exemptions, Agricultural Use, and also included in that is different tax abatements and other exemptions that are allow by state law. Mr. Taylor said what he was asking is, how much of that is actually tax exempt for the large companies. Mr. Taylor said the city need the companies to come, but soon or later, the city has to think of the citizens. He said since 1980 the city has grown by 3,000 people, somewhere the city has got to face reality with property values going up and you want an increase in taxes, and the city is giving it away. Mr. Taylor said he thought it was time to take a look at that instead of putting the burden on the people, let the big companies start paying their fair share. Skipper Steeley, 801 West Sherman Street, appeared before the City Council