CHAPEL HILL - The Orange County Board of Commissioners will hold its final public hearing on the 2009-10 budget at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Southern Human Services Center, 2501 Homestead Road in Chapel Hill.

County Manager Laura Blackmon recommends a tax rate of 85.8 cents per $100 of assessed valuation in order to raise $177.6 million, a decrease of $5.4 million from this year's general fund budget.

The county tax bill on a $300,000 house would be approximately $2,600. That's about $160 more than the taxes for a similar house prior to this year's county-wide revaluation, which increased values by an average of 24 percent.

Because of decreased revenues from automobiles and other personal property, most real-estate taxpayers will see some increase in their bills even though the budget is down this year.

If the commissioners approve Blackmon's proposal, taxpayers in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools District would pay an additional district tax of 18.8 cents per $100 of valuation to raise $18.7 million. The regular county tax rate includes about $85.4 million to share between the city and county school systems.

The cuts in the budget proposal include closing the Cedar Grove and Carrboro Branch Library and reducing hours at the main library in Hillsborough. The Cybrary in downtown Carrboro would remain open.

In crafting the budget, county officials prioritized social "safety net" programs that provide food, shelter and medical services for laid-off workers and others facing economic challenges. The budget also includes almost $26 million in debt payments for capital projects recently completed or under construction.