Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Benton County legislative body approves resolutions urging state changes to private acts on mineral tax and budget
Loading...
Summary
The Benton County legislative body approved multiple resolutions urging the state General Assembly to amend private acts governing the county's mineral severance tax and its budget act; the body voted by roll call on three county resolutions and adjourned after routine business.
The Benton County legislative body opened with an invocation by Debbie Bane and proceeded to consider several resolutions urging changes to state private acts affecting county taxation and budgeting.
The body approved a motion to adopt the meeting agenda, and then heard Resolution No. 2, introduced by the chair, which sought to amend chapter 89 of the private acts of 1979 (as amended by chapter 15 of the private acts of 2021) concerning Benton County's mineral severance tax. The chair recorded a motion by Arnold with a second by Keane; the resolution passed on a roll-call vote.
A committee member who spoke on the mineral-severance item said, "It'll go into effect after the legislature approves it," and explained that the county had previously voted to change the local rate before receiving formal legislative permission. The same speaker said they plan to bring a follow-up resolution after state approval to finalize changing the county rate from 15¢ to 20¢.
The chamber also approved Resolution No. 3, a separate urging of the General Assembly to amend chapter 89 of the private acts of 1979 in the same subject area. The chair recorded a motion by Terry King and a second by Jerry Quatt; the chair called the roll and the resolution passed with affirmative votes from members present.
Next, the body took up Resolution No. 4, a measure asking the General Assembly to enact an update to the county's budget private act (referenced in the transcript as a 1939 private act, chapter 541). Commissioner Keane moved the resolution and (per the chair's announcement) also seconded it; the item passed on roll call.
The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn moved by Terry King; the chair called the vote, received the ayes, and declared the session adjourned.
Votes at a glance - Agenda approval: motion recorded as moved by Arnold; voice vote called by the chair and no opposition recorded in the transcript. - Resolution No. 2 (amend chapter 89 re: mineral severance tax): motion by Arnold; second by Keane; recorded roll-call vote with recorded "Yes" responses from Dwayne Ballard, Neil Melton, Mark Murray, Mary Baldwin, Jody, Jerry Price, Doug Murphy and Roseanne Ward. Outcome: approved. - Resolution No. 3 (urge General Assembly to amend chapter 89): motion by Terry King; second by Jerry Quatt; recorded roll-call vote with affirmative votes recorded for the members called on the roll. Outcome: approved. - Resolution No. 4 (urge update to budget private act of 1939): motion and second by Commissioner Keane as recorded by the chair; recorded roll-call vote with affirmative votes recorded for the members called on the roll. Outcome: approved.
The statements and votes recorded in the transcript show the legislative body urging state action; county staff or members noted that local changes tied to the mineral severance tax would not take effect until the legislature acts. The meeting adjourned after the listed business.
