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Residents urge board to reject or delay proposed personal-property tax increase
Summary
During a public hearing on a proposed personal-property tax increase advertised from $1.65 to $1.75, multiple residents urged the Scott County Board of Supervisors not to raise taxes, citing financial strain on low- and middle-income households and urging focus on tourism and economic development instead.
The Scott County Board of Supervisors opened a public hearing on a proposed increase in the personal-property tax rate that had been advertised in the county—s notice. Finance staff said the advertised change was from $1.65 to $1.75 (as printed in the advertisement presented at the meeting).
Several residents urged the board not to raise taxes. Susan Jesse, a Russell County resident who said her husband owns property in Scott County, told supervisors, "Raising taxes is not the answer," and urged investment in tourism and local economic development instead of higher levies. Tommy Osborne of Boosie Creek said the county should pursue alternatives to automatic tax increases, and Michael Sluss, a long-time resident and school-system employee, described how higher personal-property taxes would be unaffordable for people on low wages.
Board members acknowledged the concerns and noted that the advertised rate gives them time to consider the final budget and that the tax levy may be acted on at the budget-adoption meeting. Staff and supervisors discussed timing of the assessed-value snapshot used in budget planning and a calculation error identified in the draft budget that will be corrected in the final draft.
No final tax-rate vote was taken at the hearing; the board closed the public hearing and indicated the matter would be decided at a subsequent meeting when the board adopts the budget.
