Sharon property owners won’t see a tax increase in 2001, but not everyone agrees with the new budget.

Council voted 3 to 2 Wednesday on a $7.5 million budget with 33.5 mills of taxes. Council President Fred Hoffman and Councilman George Gulla voted no on the budget. Raymond Fabian, Lou Rotunno and Chris Outrakis voted yes.

Hoffman proposed raising taxes 5 mills -- for one year only -- to pay off the $495,000 the city borrowed in September to cover a shortfall in the budget. There are 5 mills of taxes set aside in the budget for debt service.

Fabian said not having a tax hike in the budget is a "small victory" for taxpayers.

He said the city has made strides over the past year in getting their bills up to date and not paying any more late fees.

Sharon resident Owen Magargee said the city needs to raise taxes. He said the tax increase could be used not only for the debt but also to hire more employees or help pay for new police cruisers.

"I’m extremely happy with this budget," Rotunno said. He said it’s a budget that is "really beneficial to our citizens."

Gulla said the budget is "candy-coated" because instead of raising taxes, the city just borrowed more money.

Gulla called the budget and the lack of a tax increase "smoke screens and mirrors ... to me it’s just a lie. You can ask me to lie to you, but I won’t lie for you."

Gulla said he thought City Finance Director Michael Gasparich and Mayor Robert T. Price didn’t "take a good look at this budget." He said they are getting started on a new year and didn’t "learn a damn thing from last year."

"I hope to hell that the people in town take a good look at it," Gulla said of the budget.

A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value; assessments are based on 1970 market values. At 33.5 mills, a property assessed at $4,300 would carry a tax bill of about $1,440. One mill of taxes brings in about $97,316, and real estate taxes will generate about $3.5 million for the city next year, according to Gasparich.