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Lincoln County and Lincolnton officials spar over change to sales-tax distribution
Summary
At a joint meeting, Lincoln County commissioners defended shifting the state sales-tax distribution toward an ad valorem (property tax) method and outlined fee waivers and service concessions to soften impact; Lincolnton officials said the timing left the city little time to avoid personnel cuts and asked for a phased approach.
A joint meeting of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners and the Lincoln City Council on the countys review of state sales-tax distribution focused on whether a move to an ad valorem methodology should be implemented immediately and how to mitigate its effects on the city.
The countys chair opened the discussion by citing state law that requires the county to set distribution methodology each April and said the county had not reviewed the method in roughly two decades. The chair said the county began looking at alternatives after residents raised equity concerns tied to demographic shifts.
Mayor (Lincoln City Council) told commissioners the change arrived too late in the citys budget cycle. "It may be legal, but it's not right," the mayor said, arguing the city's budget was already prepared and…
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