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McDowell County commissioners send 1¢-equivalent sales-tax referendum to November ballot, vote 4–1
Summary
The board approved a resolution to place a sales-tax referendum on the November ballot that staff said would be the FY27 equivalent of a 1-cent sales tax; staff noted the intent to reduce property-tax rates if voters approve the measure.
The McDowell County Board of Commissioners voted 4–1 to place a sales-tax referendum on the November ballot that staff characterized as the fiscal-year-27 equivalent of a 1-cent sales tax. Mr. Wooten said the resolution includes language indicating the county’s intent to reduce the property-tax rate if the referendum passes and that Miss Bell had reviewed the resolution for election compliance.
Commissioners who supported the resolution said it was a fair way to raise revenue and urged public education about how revenue would be used. One commissioner said they opposed placing the measure on this year’s ballot, preferring 2028 to allow time to find an outside group to lead voter education efforts. Mr. Wooten cautioned that placing the item on the ballot without plans for voter outreach would be a mistake and offered staff support for informational efforts.
Staff provided rough revenue illustrations, with the transcript recording figures expressed verbally as "1.4 1.456" and discussion that a penny could generate "a million and a half" under current conditions; staff cautioned that collections can vary with economic trends. The board directed staff to forward the adopted resolution to the local board of elections for inclusion on the ballot.
