Zachary leaders who were banking on bringing in extra cash this year will now have to figure out how to cut roughly $100,000 from the general fund budget after the City Council rejected an ordinance increasing the property tax rate.

The 3-2 vote at the council’s Aug. 26 meeting means Zachary’s property tax will stay at 5.07 mills instead of “rolling forward” to 5.48 mills — the maximum the city would be allowed to adopt based on property assessments.

The property tax ordinance has been the center of much controversy in the past several weeks. In July, when the item was presented to the council for initial introduction, Councilman John LeBlanc alleged that City Attorney John Hopewell pressured him to vote for the increase, saying he would face political consequences if he didn’t comply.

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