City Council approves slight budget increase

The Havre City Council unanimously approved a $12.2 million preliminary city budget Monday night, and a tax increase that goes with it.

The property tax rate increased from 160.76 mills to 178.31 mills. The tax on a property worth $50,000 would be about $300. That is an increase of about $22.

Property owners can calculate the amount of property taxes they will pay by multiplying the taxable market value on their property by 0.034 and then multiplying that number by 0.17831.

City Council member Tom Farnham, who chairs the council's Finance Committee, said the value of a mill dropped this year f...