PUNTA GORDA — To fill in a $1.1 million hole in its proposed $18.3 mil-
lion 2013 budget, the City Council agreed by consensus Tuesday to hike the city’s property tax rate by 18.2 percent.

Councilwoman Carolyn Freeland pointed out the council has been “chipping away” primarily at employee benefits to balance the budget, but that tactic has reached
its limit.