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Serving Princeton, Rosewood, Brogden, E. Johnston Co., W. Wayne Co., North Carolina |
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Commissioners debate raising taxes in Nov.By Barry Merrill 8 August 2007 — A quiet regular monthly Johnston County Commissioners meeting Monday morning became tense as commissioners debated putting referendums for a Land Transfer Tax and a Sales Tax increase on the November municipal ballot. After some pleas to hear the Blue Ribbon Committee which had been appointed to explore the issues, the commissioners agreed to wait on a possible response from the group and to discuss the move further at a special meeting on August 14 at 6 p.m. Commissioner Allen Mims Jr. opened the discussion, suggesting the county put the two recently legislature enabled tax measures on the ballot this November. Chairman Cookie Pope asked that the board delay any decisions until they hear from the Blue Ribbon Committee. She noted that the group was set to meet this Tuesday, and that she would ask for their input. Commissioner Jeffrey Carver rejected depending on that group. “Do they know more than the 155,000 who live here? Will we still not let the voters decide on this? Give it to the voters.” Commissioner Ray Woodall sided on hearing the Blue Ribbon Committee. “We challenged in the past for the Blue Ribbon Committee to come back with suggestions. We may decide on our own that we need to do it, but we charged the people with the job. We need to let them do it.” Commissioner Tony Braswell endorsed putting the issues before the people. “I don’t want to get lost in the fact whether we personally endorse it. We’ve got to have the guts to take a stand. We open our meetings to public comment.” County Manager Rick Hester reported that he has been attending the Blue Ribbon Committee meetings, and noted that this Tuesday’s meeting was set up for some committee reports back to the full body. He was not sure that all the committee members would be there, and he doubted that they would be ready to comment on the two tax proposals. He said he would not expect a committee endorsement on the issues until October. The most passionate response came from Commissioner Wade Stewart. “Do you really need more money? Do you really need the money that bad? I don’t think we are in poor financial shape.” Mr. Hester noted that in consulting with Board of Elections, Friday, August 17 is the “drop dead deadline” for putting the referendums on the ballot. While the county can vote on whether to allow either a local sales tax increase or a land transfer tax, the legislature will only allow one or the other, he said. Commissioners Mims and Stewart continued the debate, with Mr. Mims rejecting a suggestion that they could wait until next May’s primary. He said they would be in the middle of the next budget and that might be too late. He also suggested that the financial condition of the county may be worse by then. That additional tax would be in the “tool box” for the commissioners to consider. Mr. Stewart countered that growth would continue to build county revenues. He also suggested that a Land Transfer Tax impacts only 13% of the people who buy and sell land. Mr. Mims said that the new “tools” might give the county the option of lowering the property tax rate. Mr. Stewart suggested that putting the issue on the ballot was in essence calling for a tax increase, and he would not support calling for a tax increase. Commissioner DeVan Barbour asked the commissioners to wait until after the Blue Ribbon Committee had an opportunity to offer their recommendations. Mrs. Pope offered at the 6 p.m. session Monday evening that she would attend the meeting Tuesday night and ask the Blue Ribbon Committee for a recommendation. The board then set the special meeting for next Tuesday evening.
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