Brown County commissioners send 0.5¢ gross‑receipts/use tax to Nov. 3 ballot

The Brown County Board of Commissioners voted on July 28 to amend and approve the first reading of Ordinance 3‑31, directing a proposed 0.5% county gross receipts and use tax to a public vote on Nov. 3.

Chair introduced the measure as an option made available by the recent legislative session (Senate Bill 96). "We want the voters on November 3 to weigh in on that," the Chair said, explaining the commission’s intent to give residents the final decision. Commissioners debated the measure’s distributional effects; one commissioner said larger population centers such as Sioux Falls would likely capture a large share of sales tax receipts and urged consideration of alternate distributions (population or owner‑occupied units) for the future.

Commission discussion included requests for revenue estimates and clarity about how much of any property‑tax reduction would reach individual homeowners. County staff said Department of Revenue estimates were available during the legislative session but not in hand at the meeting. Staff also explained that a separate, mandatory sales‑tax change tied to state legislation would reduce school levies next July 1 and that combined effects could produce substantial mill‑rate changes in some areas.

The board amended the draft ordinance to reflect the referral to the ballot (motion to amend by Dinger, second by Weis) and then approved the amended version (motion by Weis, second by Dinger). The motion carried without recorded roll‑call tallies in the transcript. The board indicated it would provide further detail about expected revenue and local impacts before the second reading and ahead of the November election.