Rising Assessments?

The Sun offered this nugget about HoCo Exec Ken Ulman's proposed operating budget in its dead-tree edition that ultimately made its way online:

The property tax rate ($1.014 per $100 of assessed value) would not increase, but tax bills are expected to, because of rising assessments. Water and sewer charges would increase 6 percent.

Given the cost of water these days, it might be time to invest in rain barrels.