Ameristar’s property tax bill for 2010 will split the difference between what the casino paid before an ambitious upgrade became taxable and what the Tax Assessor’s Office wanted the company to pay before nearly eight months of litigation ended with a settlement accepted Monday.

Vicksburg’s largest casino and Warren County agreed on values for its main gaming area, hotel and additions completed in 2008 that translate to $3.3 million in property taxes for 2010. It’s a savings of more than $1 million compared to the county’s calculations before its objections went to court last December, but an increase of nearly $1 million since 2008 when most of a $150 million renovation was completed.

The negotiated settlement will force a $68,000 decrease in revenue estimates for 2010-11, mostly in personal property, County Administrator John Smith said. Personal property refers to all items within a structure not built onto land, most often inventories kept by a business. Initial drafts of the county’s budget for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1 show general fund spending just shy of $15 million and revenue projections closer to $14.5 million. The budget remains dependent on the outcome of a similar tax appeal in circuit court with Riverwalk Casino.