The Monroe County Commission this month will set a property tax rate and approve the final budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year, which starts in October.

The first of two hearings will start at 5 p.m. today at the Key Largo government center. The commission will set the final tax rate at its Sept. 23 meeting.

County Administrator Roman Gastesi plans to give the County Commission a few options that include not levying taxes on some residents for wastewater services.

In one option, Gastesi has submitted a budget without wastewater taxes included, which is 0.28 percent below rollback, the tax rate that would generate the same amount of tax revenue as the previous year. Property owners would pay $378 per $100,000 of assessed property value and generate $85.3 million for the county government.

In another option, Gastesi plans to present a propert tax rate that includes fees that would cover design and county engineering staff costs for wastewater projects. The rate, which would be 2.45 percent over rollback, would cost property owners $388 per $100,000 of assessed value and generate $87.7 million, according to county budget records.

A third option would take out some wastewater design fees for Big Coppitt Key and Duck Key residents, as the sewer systems for those areas are already designed. The rate would include costs to cover county engineering staff. The rate, which would be 1.91 percent over rollback, would cost taxpayers $386 per $100,000 of assessed value and generate $87.2 million.

The commission also will set trash service fees for the year that would raise rates by $104 per year.

tohara@keysnews.com