Peralta Council approves property tax for public safety

PERALTA — The Peralta Town Council recently approved a 2 mill levy that will increase property tax for residents to help fund public safety.

Peralta’s Treasurer and Deputy Clerk Steve Robbins said the town’s leadership wants to bring in more funding for public safety as expenses related to public safety have been on the rise.

Additional revenue would also help put Peralta in a position to expand its public safety capabilities to “prepare for future protection of Peralta residents.”

Public safety includes the fire department, emergency medical services, police, animal control and code enforcement.

While the amount taxed depends on the assessed value of a property, Robbins said, on average, a homeowner will see an approximate $102 increase to their property tax bill per year. For a commercial business owner, on average, they will see about a $96 increase per year in property tax.

Robbins said residents will see the increase reflected in their 2025 property taxes.

Peralta leadership discussed the proposed levy increase at a public workshop held April 23. The town’s attorney Steven Chavez said at the workshop that the 2 mill increase would “directly benefit the residents of Peralta more so than any other mill levy that we’ve ever done.”

Peralta currently has a 3 mill levy in place dedicated to wastewater, which was established about 10 years ago to help fund a sewer system to treat wastewater and protect groundwater quality in the area. This levy currently brings in about $205,000 a year.

However, Robbins said there is now sufficient funds in the wastewater account. On June 11, the council approved a resolution to deposit the 3 mill levy revenue from that account into the general fund.

Funds from the recently-approved 2 mill, combined with the 3 mill levy, will bring in an additional $344,000 annually on average to the general fund for public safety.