Key points:
- Person County commissioners are asking county voters to approve a $675,000 tax increase at a time of high unemployment. This amount is equal to a property tax increase of 1.8 cents per hundred dollars of value.
- The commissioners voted 3-to-2 to put the tax increase to a vote of the people, but three commissioners expressed concerns that this tax increase would harm Person County small businesses during this weak economy.
- In November 2008, commissioners asked voters to increase the sales tax, and 77 percent of voters said no.
- Voters did approve a $6 million bond in 2008 for a yet-to-be-built recreation and senior center. The county manager has said a 2-cent property tax increase would be needed to pay for this center.
- Now commissioners are promising that if the tax increase passed, they would use the money to “Fund Quality of Life Expenses.”
- Regardless of the county commissioners’ promises, all new revenues would go into the general fund and could be spent by commissioners for any legal purpose.
- Since the special county taxing authority was established by the legislature in 2007, voters have turned down 68 of 85 requests for tax increases, sending the message that county commissioners must be more responsible stewards of taxpayers’ hard-earned money.
- Person County voters should think before harming small businesses with a tax increase.
