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Newton County commissioners set 2024 proposed tax rate at de minimis level
Summary
Newton County’s court voted to set the 2024 proposed tax rate at the de minimis level, which officials said will generate roughly $500,000 to cover rising insurance and personnel costs; the motion passed after a roll-call vote with three in favor and one opposed.
Newton County’s court voted on Sept. 13 to set the county’s 2024 proposed property tax rate at the de minimis level, a change officials said would bring in about $500,000 in additional revenue.
A county commissioner proposed adopting a de minimis rate of 0.07926 per $100 of assessed value, saying the increase would help the county cover rising insurance and payroll costs and allow a proposed 3% pay increase for county employees. “I propose we go with a de minimis rate of 0.07926 per $100 value, which would bring another $500,000 in revenue to the county,” the commissioner said during the meeting.
The court discussed alternatives, including adopting the no-new-revenue rate and cutting positions to balance the budget. One commissioner urged reviewing and dissolving certain job positions where volunteers already assist — citing the History Center and library staffing — as a way to reduce expenditures without raising taxes. The proposer responded that dissolving positions would reduce services and that current budget pressures (including a roughly $400,000 increase tied to insurance and other rising costs) made revenue increases necessary.
A motion to adopt the de minimis rate was made and seconded; the court conducted a roll-call vote. Commissioner Benson (Precinct One) voted yes, Commissioner Philip White (Precinct Two) voted yes and County Judge Ronnie Cochran voted yes; one commissioner recorded a no vote. The motion carried and the court moved on to remaining agenda items.
Court members noted there was no one from the auditor’s office present to speak to the budget amendments and that items two and three — listed as budget amendments and payment of bills — were not acted on at the meeting. The court recessed further discussion on those items after confirming the printed material on the agenda was not needed.
The vote establishes the proposed rate for the required public-notice and record-vote steps in the county’s budget process; any final tax rate will be set in subsequent budget actions as required by state law.
