A fiscal 2010 tax rate of 59.3 cents per $100 of assessed valuation was adopted last week by the Mehlville Fire Protection District Board of Directors.

Board members voted unanimously Aug. 27 to approve the blended tax rate of 59.3 cents per $100 — 3 cents more than the current tax rate of 56.3 cents per $100, but 1.6 cents less than the fiscal 2008 tax rate of 60.9 cents.

The fiscal 2010 tax rate is the maximum that can be levied by the district.

The fiscal 2010 tax rates for the general, ambulance, alarm and pension funds are: 42.7 cents, 10.8 cents, 2.6 cents and 3.2 cents, respectively.

The current tax rates for the general, ambulance, alarm and pension funds are: 40.6 cents, 10.2 cents, 2.5 cents and 3 cents, respectively.

The blended tax rate of 59.3 cents is a combination of four tax rates — residential property, commercial property, agricultural property and personal property.

In a related matter, board members also voted unanimously to approve a preliminary fiscal 2010 budget that anticipates total revenue of $17,877,259 with projected expenditures totaling $17,750,328 — a surplus of $126,931.

The preliminary fiscal 2010 budget estimates the district will begin the year with a fund balance of $21,052,959 and end the year with a fund balance of $21,179,890.

The current budget projects total revenue of $17,656,111 with anticipated expenditures of $19,504,179 — a deficit of $1,848,068.

The district will not go into the red, but will dip into its reserves. The deficit resulted from construction of the district’s new No. 2 firehouse at 5434 Telegraph Road in Oakville.

Work on the new firehouse was completed earlier this year.

Approval of a final budget for 2010 will be considered by the Board of Directors in December.