Politics

Split board again declines to commit to tax rollback

By Bill Moss, Published: August 2, 2016

A divided Board of Commissioners on Monday again declined to make a formal commitment to roll back property taxes if Henderson County voters OK a local-option sales tax, defeating by the same 3-2 margin the effort by commissioners Bill Lapsley and Grady Hawkins to pass a binding pledge.

Lapsley and Hawkins argue that the county would be collecting more taxes than it needs if voters authorize the quarter-cent sales tax on Nov. 8. The local sales tax, which would generate about $2.5 million a year, would enable the board to cut the tax rate by 3 cents, they say, trimming a 5-cent property tax increase the board approved in June.
“I don’t have a problem with promising the people in Henderson County a tax rollback but I’ve got a problem telling the people 11 months from now we’re going to do this,” Commissioner Charlie Messer said. “You’ve got too much time there.”
Commissioner Michael Edney said expense projections that Lapsley used undercounted the ongoing costs of things like across-the-board pay raises.
“I want to reduce taxes if that makes sense with the sales tax,” Edney said. “Today we don’t have enough information.”
“I agree there are other expenses to be added,” Lapsley said. Even so, revenues historically have exceeded the budgeted number. “We’re losing sight of the fact that there are additional revenues coming in. Only one time in the past 10 years has there not been a surplus contributed by the taxpayers to the fund balance of this county.”
The three commissioners in the majority all said they would assure voters that they’re in favor of a rollback while stopping short of formally voting for one.
“If we don’t make a commitment," Hawkins responded, "we may as well be telling a hair-raising story to a bald-headed man."
After voting 3-2 against a formal commitment to a 3-cent rollback, commissioners voted unanimously for Edney’s motion to “commit to our best effort to reduce the tax rate as much as possible if the sales tax passes.”
Lapsley and Hawkins said Monday night and last month that voters would regard as an empty promise anything short of a formal motion locking in the pledge.
“It’s motherhood and apple pie,” Lapsley said.