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Commissioners approve one-year amendment to local sales-tax distribution amid objections from Commissioner Adams
Summary
The Board voted 5–1 to amend a 2003 sales‑tax distribution agreement so that any increase (or decline) in sales tax for the fiscal year will be split 50/50 between Cumberland County and municipalities for this one year; Commissioner Adams voted against the change.
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners voted 5–1 on Monday to approve a one‑year amendment to the county’s sales‑tax distribution agreement with municipalities, changing how increases and declines in sales tax are allocated for the current fiscal year.
County Attorney Rick Moorefield told the board the 2003 agreement has been amended multiple times and that the latest change would split any increase (and any decline) over the fiscal‑year‑2022 baseline so that 50% of the change goes to the county and 50% is divided among all municipalities for this fiscal year only. Moorefield said three small towns had not yet returned signed amendments but staff expected them to do so before the item is placed on a future consent agenda as the final record.
Commissioner Adams opposed the amendment. “I’m not in agreement with this,” Adams said. “This has gone on since 02/2003, has always been in the benefit of these municipalities. We stopped the multimillion dollar project over $1,800,000, and today we're gonna give away $4,000,000 makes no sense to me at all to be able to do that.”
Chairman Kirk Devier and other supporters called the change a compromise intended to provide immediate relief to smaller municipalities in the agreement’s final year. Vice Chairwoman Jones moved to approve the amendment and authorize the chairman to sign once all municipalities have finalized their signatures; Commissioner Tyson seconded the motion.
The board voted in favor (Commissioners Tyson, Jones, Chairman Devier, Commissioner Patel and Commissioner Faircloth); Commissioner Adams voted against. The motion carried and staff said the document would be placed on a consent agenda for a future meeting after the remaining signatures were received.
The county attorney said the actual dollar effects will not be known until fiscal‑year collections are finalized at year end. The amendment, as described by staff, applies only to the single fiscal year specified and will be reflected in county records once fully executed by all municipalities.
