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Residents urge relief from rising property tax burden; board says local sales tax requires state approval
Summary
Multiple residents urged supervisors to lower the tax rate or pursue a local sales tax to reduce property-tax burdens; the board explained that authority to enact a local sales-tax increment lies with the state legislature and outlined petition and certification steps.
Several residents spoke during the May 20 public-comment period about rising property assessments, personal‑property tax concerns and the limits of local authority to change tax structure.
Debbie Orchard of Keokee told supervisors she hoped the board would lower the local tax rate and described worries that school requests for more funding were recurring. "From what I've understood from each of you, all of you really, your plan is to lower the tax rate and not to burden the county with more than what we can afford," Orchard said, asking for clarity on accreditation and school funding concerns.
Other residents said they support a locally imposed sales‑tax increase (for example, adding a penny or three cents to the local sales tax) to spread the burden across residents and visitors. A longtime resident noted that seniors and fixed‑income households are disproportionately hurt by rising property taxes and urged county leaders to pursue a sales‑tax option.
Supervisors and staff responded that the board has not set tax rates for 2025 and that property re‑assessments required by the state are separate from the tax‑rate decision. Board members repeated that a local option sales tax requires state legislative approval and that petition efforts must meet state certification requirements; one supervisor suggested contacting state legislators and collecting certified signatures. The board advised residents that although a petition can be circulated locally, the county cannot unilaterally impose a local sales tax without action by the General Assembly.
The public-comment exchange also included procedural guidance from staff on how petitions should be certified (witness statements, notarization and verification that signers are eligible county voting residents) and an offer from a supervisor to provide sample petition paperwork and assistance for organizers.
