Cherokee County property owners could be facing a 2.3- mill tax hike this year.

Cherokee County Council could approve the increase and eliminate nearly $200,000 from its capital budget to bridge a projected $516,000 shortfall in the proposed $18.4 million budget, under a spending plan summary presented by Cherokee County Interim Administrator Ben Clary on Monday. The proposal doesn't include a cost-of-living raise for county employees.

Council also has the option of holding the line on taxes and eliminating the entire shortfall by gutting the capital budget by $516,000. That proposal leaves $101,000 for such capital items as police cruisers and garbage trucks.

The 2.3-mill tax hike is also on the table if council elects to include a 3 percent cost-ofliving raise in this year's budget.

The shortfall would jump to $720,000 with the pay raises. Clary said council could balance the proposed budget by approving a 2.3-mill tax hike and chopping $386,000 from the capital budget. Under that scenario, council would have $231,000 to spend on capital items.

Clary said he wants council's feedback on the proposals. He said he hopes to have a preliminary budget to present to council by early May.

Last year, Clary spared county property owners a .95-mill tax hike by cutting $140,042 from the operating budget. The cuts reduced the county's general operating millage from 63 mills to 62.05 mills.