On Tuesday the biggest issue facing Wilson County voters may be a proposed 0.25 cent increase in the county sales tax.
County commissioners decided to put the proposed increase on the primary ballot and let the voters decide if they wanted it as a option to raising property taxes.
Since the tax increase, which officials say could raise $2.1 million, was proposed, there has been strong opposition from citizens attending commissioners meetings and strong support from the business community and school system.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SPLIT
Wilson County commissioners are split on the need for the 0.25 cent sales tax increase. Supporters say it will be a fair tax for everyone instead of increasing property taxes, and opponents saying the tax might not be needed if departments would tighten their budgets.
Commission Chairman Frank Emory said he thought if the sales tax passed there would be a cut in property taxes.
"I think the overall reason for it is to give relief to the property tax," Emory said. "We know the property tax is high, and we would like to reduce it."
Emory said he thought the sales tax would be fair for everyone because not just property owners would have to pay it, but everyone. The sales tax increase would not apply to purchases of food, medicine, autos or homes.
Before completing next year's budget, which starts July 1, Emory said he could not say where all the sales tax money would be used if it passes, but the schools would likely benefit.
"The schools and community college always get a lion's share of our budget, and I don't see why that wouldn't be the case here," Emory said.
However, Emory said he and commissioners would have to sit down while the budget is being completed and also consider the recently completed property revaluation before allocating of any new sales tax funds.
Roger Lucas, who voted against the sales tax increase along with Commissioner Tim Williford, said he still plans to vote no on Tuesday.
"It has been an interesting thing to me," Lucas said. "After the board voted to pass it there has been a ringing endorsement from the school board and Chamber supporting it."
Lucas said he was told by Emory that the money would not be dedicated just to education.
Although Lucas said he knows education needs more money, he said the system also might need a audit to see how responsible the school funds are being spent.
"The board (of commissioners) has never seen a true audit of the system," Lucas said, adding that many people in the county are convinced school funding should be scrutinized more.
Until the budget is complete and the revaluation is sorted out, Lucas said he would have to wait and see where the money might better be used if it passes.
Lucas said he did not know how the county could come up with a neutral budget if the county departments, now giving their budget presentations to commissioners, kept asking for increases.
It will take a serious effort on the departments to hold the line on spending or some of the requests might have to be cut, Lucas said.
The county will have to deal with state and federal mandates that might make the $3 million Medicaid relief windfall look like "smoke and mirrors," Lucas said.
"The state really enjoys cost shifting to us," he said. "Down on the local level, our hands are tied to a point. I want the county government to look inward and make a fair assessment to get the biggest bang for our buck. If we see we need cuts, we should."
Sid Boyette, board vice-chairman, said he thought the increase in sales tax was the fairest way to raise revenue for county services.
"I prefer it to property tax," Boyette said. "It will be something everyone pays. I think it will give us the opportunity to take a hard look at the property tax and certainly lower it to some extent that we couldn't do without that sales tax money."
Boyette said it remains to be seen how much the property tax could be reduced if the sales tax increase is approved.
"I think we could see 2- to 3-cent reduction," he said.
A sales tax increase is needed to maintain services for the different agencies like the water department, EMS and the sheriff's department, Boyette said.
"They need the increases," he said.
Grady Robbins said the sales tax would generate funds equal to 4 cents of property tax value.
"That will save us on the property tax sometime in the future, probably this year," Robbins said. "I'd like to see us use it to help keep our property taxes as low as possible.
"We have got to provide more help for our population and the schools, both community college and public schools."
OPPOSITION
Bill Biddle, former president of the Wilson County Taxpayers Association and outspoken opponent of increasing the sales tax, said he opposes the referendum because he doesn't think the county needs the money.
"With the people we have on the county commissioners now, except for two people, I think they will raise property taxes anyway," Biddle said. "It makes no difference if we get a sales tax increase or not. These folks are going to vote to increase spending. They want more money to spend so they can sit back and say, 'Look what I've done for you.'"
Biddle said he didn't think the sales tax increase would give the school system additional funding.
"The schools already get federal funding, state funding, county funding and lottery money, and they still don't have any money," Biddle said. "The other thing that makes no sense is they are saying they want to give teachers bigger supplements. I agree. I'm all for that. But you know where the largest portion would go if they got it: administration."
Jean Fisher, treasurer of the Wilson County Republican Party, said there have been more than 300 signs given out to citizens opposing the sales tax that say "May 6th, vote no more sales tax". More were going to be put out this week.
"We have a lot of support from citizens who do not want another tax tacked on and don't know where it would be spent," Fisher said. "They (commissioners) should have held off until they decided what they are going to do about the property taxes. They haven't done anything about the revaluation yet."
Although Fisher said she plans to vote against the increase in sales tax, if it does pass, she thinks the money should go toward the schools system.
BUSINESS AND SCHOOLS SUPPORT
Business leaders and school officials turned out last month at the Wilson Chamber of Commerce in support of the sales tax increase. They have formed a group called Wilson County Citizens for Progress. About 40 people attended as eight business and education leaders spoke in favor of the proposed tax.
Bill Casella, plant manager for Carolina Forge and member of the Citizens for Progress Committee, said the increased sales tax would help recruit more jobs, provide better emergency medical care for seniors and others and improve education for the county's children.
"This small sales tax increase will amount to just 25 cents on a $100 spent," Casella said. "It is a reasonable, fiscally conservative approach to giving our county a new long-term source of revenue to pay for increased demands and costs for basic services.
"It will also reduce the urgency and pressure on our county commissioners to raise property taxes, which discourages new business investment."
Will Winslow, chairman of the Wilson County School Board, said education was the most important factor driving the future of Wilson, and although county commissioners have been supportive of the schools, they have been restricted in their funding.
Funding for students was behind the state average, and this fiscal year the school system will need an additional $1 million for increasing energy costs, state-mandated salary increases, retirement and insurance costs and partial stocking of a new elementary school media center, Winslow said.
"As a school board member, I now realize I need to fight for theses funds regardless of where the funds come from," Winslow said. "As a member of the community, however, I realize that we need to provide our county commissioners with another source of revenue -- a source, and yes that means a tax, that will be spread across all members of the community, not just property owners."
Steven Leder, incoming chairman of Wilson Community College, said the college's board of trustees and foundation unanimously supported the sales tax increase.
"I don't like any type of taxes, but sometimes you have to have it," he said.
SALES TAX REVENUES
County Finance Director Phyllis Vick said according to the county audit, in 2005, the county received $13,831,678 in sales tax. Of that $3,085,305 was restricted for schools and special districts, leaving an unrestricted sales tax of $10,746,373.
In 2006, the county got $14,060,662 in sales tax, with $3,575,520 restricted for schools and special districts. The unrestricted sales tax for the county that year was $10,485,142.
Last year the county received $16,107,578 in sales tax, of which $4,040,643 was restricted for schools and special districts, leaving the county with $12,066,935 in unrestricted sales tax.
eddie@wilsontimes.com | 265-7820
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THE WILSON DAILY TIMES is running special coverage this week of the races on the May 6 ballots. The schedule is:
Saturday: Presidential candidates
Monday: Congressional races
Tuesday: Governor
Wednesday: Lieutenant Governor
Thursday: Statewide races
Today: Judicial primaries
Saturday, May 1: Sales-tax referendums
To see past stories and other stories we have run on the upcoming May 6 primary go to wilsontimes.com