Mills River managed to pass its budget maintaining its 1-cent property tax rate. Keeping taxes low is Mayor Roger Snyder’s idea of a sound economic development policy. Citizens of Mills River also pay a 6.5-cent fire tax. The city provides four “core” services from the list from which the state requires municipalities to provide at least two. One of these is town-wide zoning. In addition, the town intends to build a library and a town hall. It also intends to undertake master planning.