UPDATE: Supervisors voted Friday not to increase taxes. See this link for the full story: https://www.columbianprogress.com/news/county-votes-not-increase-taxes#s...
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Three citizens expressed concerns about a county tax increase Thursday afternoon during a public budget hearing.
“We can’t pay but so much tax. I am 73 years old, and I can’t retire because I can’t pay my taxes,” Bobby Patterson said.
Also speaking up was the Rev. Jerron Carney.
“I want people to stay in Marion County, and we are giving people a reason to leave instead of a reason to stay,” he said. “If you are going to pass this, the cost of living is going to go up, the cost of doing business is going to go up. Give us something to show where you are making the cuts.”
The Board of Supervisors proposed a 4.4-mill increase in the county’s property tax rate, which would generate nearly an additional $557,000 in tax revenue on homes, businesses, car tags and other property. About 45 percent of that increase (2 mills) would go toward capital debt for roads and bridges and about 27 percent (1.19 mills) for housing prisoners. Other increases would be general operating costs (0.57 mills), the county schools (0.4 mills) and economic development (0.24 mills).
The board was set to vote on the $22 million budget at 2 p.m. Friday, which was after press deadlines. See ColumbianProgress.com for an update on the board’s vote.
During Thursday’s public hearing, County CPA Charlie Prince opened the discussion.
“This has not been an easy budget year,” he said. “There are three areas where you had absolutely no control over.”
Prince said one of the areas is the decrease in valuation, which means the county would receive less next year, yet the cost of everything else is going up. The second, he said, was in the area of economic development to do something to increase the valuation and the final area was with the bridges. “Good roads and good bridges are important to economic development,” Prince said.
He said one of the things the board is looking at is putting 2 mills on the debt service fund to pay the bond issues on the roads and bridges to free up other money for road and bridge repairs.
Prince advised that indebtedness the county absorbed regarding Marion General Hospital will be paid off within the next year or two. The millage that was previously added regarding the hospital will soon be able to be put into the general fund, he said.
Betty Oglesbee, who lives on Seamon Bullock Road, asked how the local funds are being spent.
“We don’t see where the money is going. The roads are awful, and the grass on the side of the roads are not being bushhogged. In some places you cannot see the stop sign,” she said. “We see no action from local taxes.”
Prince answered the local taxes make up 51 percent of the county’s revenue. He said some would go to road and bridges and some would go to general fund. He continued some would go to fund Chancery Court, Circuit Court and other county offices.
“Where is the other 49 percent?” she asked.
“That would be federal and state money that would supplement those things that we said,” Prince said.
“We bragged that we have the top four corporations, but there are small businesses that are out there that need support,” Oglesbee said. “We need good roads and bushhogging and things like that. That’s part of economic development, too. You are judged when you come in this county not necessarily in the big area. We have businesses out in the county. People out there are sick of everything that is being run.”
Patterson, who said he lives in Beat 4, said, “I have never had economic development contribute a nickel to make it better to improvement. We always worry about the big guys with the big jets. I know they bring in megabucks, but us little people out in the county need a little help every once in a while.”
“When my business starts going into the hole, I’ll shut the door. I can’t come to you for money like you come to us,” he said.
Carney, lead pastor of Woodlawn Church, also asked about consolidating the school districts as a way to save money. He was advised he would have to discuss that with the school boards because the Board of Supervisors had no say in that.
District 5 Supervisor Calvin Newsom addressed the citizens: “We hear exactly what you are saying and feel the same way. We can’t raise enough taxes to give you better roads,” he said.
Newsom said the cost of the work which needs to be done is 400 percent higher than the income coming in.
“Yet we hear cut,” he said. “In 2013 this board cut 11.84 mills out of the county tax. Not one person came in and said thank you. Not one, not a single person. Part of that is the reason we are suffering now.”
Newsom said there was not a district that had enough manpower to do the work needed.
The equipment needs upgrading and the county does not have the money to do so. He said the newest tractor he has for District 5 was bought in 2003. He said the board has cut down to the bare bones and that the budget discussion takes place over the entire year.
“We try to serve the people with honesty and integrity and share with them whatever they need to know or ask. We invite you to come to the board meeting before tax time so you can get a view of what we do,” he said.
County Engineer Jeff Dungan advised Oglesbee that local tax money she was asking about helped pay for two bridges near her home. Dungan also said the state fuel tax, which helps pay for roads and bridges, has not increased since 1987, which is making more money come from the county level for repairs.
Board President Terry Broome added, “There is not enough money to go around.”
