The Marion County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Thursday to advertise a 4.4-mill increase in the property tax rate.
The public has an opportunity to offer their opinions at a hearing at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13 before supervisors take a vote on final adoption of the 2019-2020 budget.
The millage rate, which affects the costs of taxes on homes, businesses, land and car tags, would go from 139.05 mills to 143.45 mills.
Supervisors Terry Broome, Tater Rowell, Calvin Newsom and Randy Dyess all voted for the increase, while Supervisor Tony Morgan was opposed. The county has been hampered by a decrease in property values and a loss of businesses and residents, which have put strains on government budgets.
The breakdown of the increase would be 0.4 mills to fund the Marion County School District’s request, 2 mills for increased funding for economic development of $30,000 and increases in general operating costs and costs of housing prisoners and 2 mills to fund the required debt for capital improvements for roads and bridges.
County CPA Charlie Prince on Tuesday presented scenarios to the board for different millage rates.
“I will let you know up front that you do not have to do anything,” Prince said. “Everyone will have to stick completely within their budgets. We have a little cushion in the beginning cash balance but we do not have enough to absorb anything extra.”
The Marion County Development Partnership requested a $60,000 increase, which would put it back to where it was funded before major cuts two years ago.
“In theory economic development should add to the tax base. It takes investment to do that. But it takes real dollars to do that,” Prince said.
Newsom asked Marion County Development Partnership President Lori Watts, who was in attendance, if there had been any returns from the investments to the partnership.
“Since I have been on staff for every dollar that has been invested in economic development, there has been $20 coming back into our local economy,” Watts said. “We have definitely had an effect on the tax rolls. There are other initiatives we would like to take that we have not been able to do so.
“I see immediately doing some small business assistance teams. I talked to three different people this week who are thinking about starting small businesses and if we have some advisory in place, we would have more success in the business. It would also allow a more proactive use of my time to meet with people at the state level who are bringing us projects and being able to work with existing businesses to keep them here. I believe we could see returns on the investment, absolutely.”
Board President Terry Broome asked if the board wanted to increase the budget for the MCDP. Broome said the partnership received an additional $40,000 last year. The MCDP received $200,165 from the county in the current fiscal year and for the year prior to that $166,000.
“So $60,000 would return us back to the 2017 level, which is our goal,” Watts said.
Kristian Agoglia, owner of Looks Great Services who spearheaded the Columbia Christmas light shows last year and serves on the MCDP board, addressed supervisors.
“Until I met with the MCDP I did not realize the opportunity and resources available to small businesses,” he said. “That is what motivated me to open my company here on Main Street, and we have grown from there. The only thing I know that motivates me to want to stay here are the opportunities the MCDP has bought me. Purchasing buildings downtown, events we’ve held and families moving from out of the state here.
“I had a golden rule never to serve on boards, and I always said I would never serve on board that didn’t give back more to me than what I gave the board. I’m glad I made it. I believe in the organization. I believe that Marion County and Columbia will be the best city in the state.”
Mack Grubbs, owner of Columbia’s lone new car dealership, also attended in support of the MCDP funding but did not address supervisors during the meeting.
Newsom made a motion to increase the budget for the MCDP by $30,000, and Rowell seconded it. The motion was temporarily tabled and eventually rescinded after supervisors decided to put it within the overall budget vote.
Morgan later stated he was against the MCDP getting the additional $30,000.
“Others came to us for budget increases, and we told them no so I did not think it would be fair to give the MCDP an increase,” Morgan said of his reason for voting against the budget.
Discussion was also held on bond payments for roads and bridges. Prince said a millage increase would help free up money coming in to use on normal maintenance on roads and bridges.
“The only way you are going to improve the roads is to take the additional state money and be able to use it,” Prince said.
The Marion County School District requested the same amount of money as last year, but it required a 0.4 mill increase to generate that same total because property values declined in the county.
