Tax Rates, Trash Service Voted on at Arnold City Council

Arnold City Council voted unanimously to fix the property tax levy at 39.73 cents per $100 of valuation, the same rate it has been the previous three years. The vote happened during a council meeting last Thursday.

Property values in Arnold did not increase much over the past year, said Deborah Lewis, finance director for Arnold.

“We only went up a quarter of a percent—the Consumer Price Index would have allowed us to increase our tax levy. That would have added approximately 76 cents to every $100,000 of home value," she said. "But in discussions with the mayor and the city administrator, we decided to keep the rate the same, as we have for the past three years."

Free Trash For More Arnold Residents

Back in August, city council voted to give homeowners in Arnold free trash service. Allied Waste has a city-wide contract to collect residential trash and Arnold has been picking up the tab since 1999, according to City Attorney Robert Sweeney.

The same perk does not automatically apply to residents in trailer courts because they pay the trailer park’s management company—not Allied Waste or the city—for trash service.

Arnold does not give free trash pickup to businesses.

Now, council members have voted to give trailer park residents a rebate on trash service at a rate of $7 a month—or $84 a year. This is the same amount the city is authorized to collect from homeowners by ordinance, but has waived.

The rebate will be given directly to the residents, not the company that owns the trailer park.

Staff at Ozark Mobile Home Park in Arnold told Patch that each pad is charged $169 a quarter for both trash and sewer service.

The city sent packets to eligible trailer courts on Sept. 24 with rebate forms. Residents should speak to their management staff to find out how to get a rebate.

Richardson Ridge Approved

The council also approved a zoning change request from Arapaho Development, which gives the green light for the construction of Richardson Ridge Villas, a housing complex for people older than 55, at 3509 Jeffco Blvd.

Patrick Werner, the owner of Arapaho Development, said construction would begin in the spring. He also said that anyone interested in living in Richardson Ridge Villa could fill out an application once construction begins.