BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — The Inez City Commission kept its property tax rate flat for the coming fiscal year, advanced work with FEMA and endorsed stronger federal black lung benefits during its Thursday meeting.

Commissioners conducted the first reading of the property tax ordinance for fiscal year 2025-26. Unchanged from last year, the proposed rate of 9.2 cents per $100 of assessed value applies to real, personal and tangible property. The city will conduct the final reading Sept. 11.

After approving minutes and the agenda, commissioners entered a closed session for unknown reasons. When they returned, Mayor Ed Daniels praised the installers of new signage in the city.

“Joe Collier, Terrell [Crum], Roy’s people and Barry Webb did a good job getting the ‘Welcome to Inez’ signs up,” Daniels said.

Commissioners agreed.

“The old Inez High School memorial is beautiful,” added Daniels. “It’s right in downtown Inez, right in front of where the old school was.”

The mayor then commented on quilt block decals that the city recently added to sidewalks, saying they “look good.”

Commissioner Roy Penix reported that he and Mayor Daniels spent five hours with FEMA officials assessing flood damage on the creek trail.

“They were thorough,” Penix said.

Clerk Lisa Mollett told commissioners the city had signed off on FEMA reimbursement for debris removal, estimated at $5,000 to $6,000.

The commission also passed a resolution urging Congress to raise federal black lung monthly benefits for disabled miners. Mollett said “a medical group in Whitesburg” requested the resolution. According to the resolution, 93 black lung claimants live in Inez and received $2.1 million in benefits in 2024.