The Gloucester County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the county’s proposed $63.99 million general fund operating budget next Wednesday, March 29 at 7 p.m. in the T.C. Walker Education Center’s auditorium. The proposed budget is up $1.6 million from the current year’s budget.

The proposed tax rates would change the county’s real estate tax rate from 69.5 cents per $100 of assessed value to 71 cents per $100 of assessed value. Last year, the board voted to raise the real estate tax rate by 1.5 cents from the 68-cent rate of fiscal year 2016.

Advertised real estate tax rates are listed at 72.5 cents per $100 of assessed value, to give the board a little bit of wiggle room in case it desires to fund more programs. As proposed, personal property tax rates will remain unchanged at $2.95 per $100 of assessed value.

The board plans to adopt its final budget April 17. ...