I hate taxes, just like the rest of you. But I realize that if we want things like streets, bridges, schools, police protection, firefighters, water and sewer and a long list of other services, we have to pay for them.
Recently I’ve been in on meetings involving everything from closed bridges to roads that are so badly in need of paving that citizens are constantly complaining. The answer I keep hearing is that there is no money.
As homeowner and a vehicle owner, I’m tired of property taxes sucking me dry like a vampire to Type O blood. I know people get sticker shock when they purchase new vehicles because of the cost of the car tags, which is part of property taxes.
Maybe it’s time to look in another direction. I’m talking something that everyone pays, not just property owners: sales taxes.
Here in Mississippi, our state sales tax rate is 7 percent and municipalities are allowed to add an additional point or two for certain reasons with the legislature’s permission. Sadly, here in Columbia, we don’t have that boost. Maybe it’s time to.
I’ve heard the constant complaints about Sumrall Road from U.S. 98 to Broad Street. I’ve also heard the estimates from Mayor Justin McKenzie on paving it. The estimates to pave that short section of road are in the $300,000-plus range. Add in Walter Payton Drive and you’re at a smooth $400K. That’s an amount the city can’t afford under current conditions.
Each month, I have the chance to view the city’s sales tax receipts. In a good month, make that a great month, they are around $300,000. I’d say the average is probably $250,000 to $260,000. That money has to go to pay for the broad range of services the city provides.
I often hear comparisons to other places. Specifically, Lamar County. It’s a whole different ballgame over there because of the industries, businesses and large homes bringing in tax revenue. But Lamar County, or the portion in Hattiesburg, also has an additional 2 percent tax on the proceeds of sales at restaurants and bars and at hotels.
Maybe it’s time for Columbia to consider this. Want to pave the roads? Increase the sales tax. Want to add a Sportsplex? The hotel and restaurant tax may help.
Recently, my son, Brian, moved to Murfreesboro, Tenn. The first thing we noticed was the amazing infrastructure. Many roads are newly paved and in the older sections of town, major projects are ongoing on roads and sewer systems.
After my first purchase, I found out why. The sales tax in Murfreesboro is 9.75 percent and yet Tennessee’s state tax sits at 7 percent. That means an additional 2.75 percent is going for a variety of things and from the looks of it, those things include infrastructure.
Last Friday, as I was on my way home with some friends from Hattiesburg, I stopped to grab myself an icy cold caffeinated beverage. In Columbia, the 79-cent drink is 85 cents with tax; in Hattiesburg, it’s 88 cents. I’ll be honest, I didn’t care about the 3 cents. Nor did I really notice that it was 89 cents in Murfreesboro.
To me, sales tax is the fairest way. The woman who stops on her way to Hattiesburg from McComb and buys something locally or the guy who is staying at a local hotel and eating at a local restaurant and is from Texas both help pay for our infrastructure. It makes sense because they use it. The same goes for us when we travel. Those three cents I paid in Hattiesburg went to make sure services were available to me when I was there. It’s a pretty good deal.
The sales tax lets you pay it a few pennies at a time as opposed to being slammed with a $500 increase on property taxes or a $1,000 car tag (I drive a 2007 vehicle so, no, I don’t pay $1,000 for a tag).
As a property owner, I’d rather see everyone who uses the services in town or visits our town help pay for things here. You may not feel that way, but I think it’s time for the city to go through the process of raising a little revenue locally since the state won’t send it back down.
Maybe someday our infrastructure can look like some of the places I saw on my recent vacation.
Better infrastructure might just help bring us the companies that can help provide more jobs to the community, and that would be a win for all of us.
Mark Rogers is managing editor of The Columbian-Progress. Reach him at news@columbianprogress.com or (601) 736-2611.
