Greene County commissioners approve proposed local income-tax lids, set Oct. 20 public hearing

Greene County commissioners on Monday approved including several proposed local income-tax levies in a draft ordinance and set a public hearing for Oct. 20.

The board voted to include a 0.1% local income-tax lid for the county acute-care hospital, approve a 0.15% judicial-lid rate for court-related salaries and benefits, and increase the correctional-facility lid by 0.10 percentage points to 0.30% (the change reallocates allowable operating and debt-service shares under state law). The board also authorized staff to publish required public-notice advertising and scheduled the public hearing for Oct. 20 at the regular 4 p.m. meeting.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the actions are meant to build a temporary revenue buffer ahead of statewide tax changes enacted in Senate Bill 1 and expected redistribution of certified shares beginning in 2027–28. Commissioners and staff said local revenue changes could help preserve county services and buildings while the Legislature and governor finalize rules and certified-share calculations.

Hospital lid and fiscal context

The board debated the proposed 0.1% hospital lid at length. A representative of Greene County General Hospital told commissioners the hospital was “operating right now at a little over $2,000,000 loss for the year” and that Medicare and…