In the final of three meetings on tax increases in the county Thursday, Commissioner Rob Jones heard several members of the public say they wanted to see deeper cuts made now.
Commissioner Jones said the three-tenths of a mill tax increase in county taxes is necessary due to the downturn in the economy and faltering sales tax. He said the county will come up $568,500 short in sales tax revenue this year, and the only choice is making cuts in services or raising property taxes.
Jones said he would have to make more cuts next year, including furloughs of employees.
Members in the crowd of between 20 to 30, however, said they didn’t want to hear about future spending cuts, they wanted to see action.
One person told Jones and other elected officials at the hearing in the county Admin Building that if they couldn’t do a better job of making cuts, “you will all be looking for a job come election time.”
One member of the audience (none of the speakers stated their names) said she had heard the commissioner say previously he would have to make cuts in services like fire protection, ambulances and animal control. She accused him of using “scare tactics” by naming those services.
“The county is going to have to cut the biggest expenses, and that is in administrative salaries,” she said.
Another speaker said, “Let’s get down to brass tacks. We’ve got to cut down on what it costs us to run the county, and the time is now.”
He said Jones should have made cuts six months ago in anticipation of the shortfall and should not keep saying he is looking to make cuts next year.
Jones said through normal turnover he has reduced the county payroll by 38 employees, including 27 fewer people in the road department; four in the water department and four in the main offices.
He said ambulance and fire protection “are down to the quick” already.
Jones said his increase was only three-tenths of one mill, which will increase the tax bill on a $200,000 home by about $74.
His total budget for this year was up slightly at $20,423,210. Jones said the increase is almost solely due to the fall off in sales tax revenue.
Jones said several times the increase in county taxes was minimal compared to the increase in school taxes, but both millage rates are grouped on the same bill. He said he has no control over the school board or their finances and encouraged people to take up issues such as a senior tax exemption with school board members.
One member of the audience said it was pointless to go to the school board as they always “turn a deaf ear.”
Several members of the audience responded that if people aren’t making purchases and paying sales tax, they don’t have enough to pay property taxes.
“If people aren’t making money in real estate or construction, they can’t pay more [in taxes],” he said. “People are strapped.”
Other speakers specifically objected to the high property values assessed on their properties, assessed values which have not fallen in relation to the downturn in house prices.
“With property values down, they’re not worth what you are assessing them at,” a speaker said. “I don’t see paying more taxes on a house that is worth less.”
Commissioner Jones said he is not responsible for the tax assessments. He said he is aware of the downturn in sales.
Chief Tax Assessor Roy Dobbs said he could provide figures that would show Pickens properties are still valued fairly on the tax rolls.
“Taxes are extremely over-inflated,” the speaker said. “When will they be re-assessed?” Dobbs said “sales say we’re still below market value [with tax values].”
Tax Commissioner Sharon Troglin said that while she sympathizes with those complaining, her office is charged with sending the bills and collecting, not setting values.
“We will do whatever, furloughs or whatever it takes [in her office],” she said.
In the end, the county approved a millage of 6.26. Combined with the millage rate set separately by the school board, total property tax millage now stands at 22.42. The increase and the loss of state homeowners relief funding will mean Pickens homeowners see a substantial increase on their tax bills.
Based on a sample bill prepared by the Tax Assessor’s office, a homeowner with an assessed home value of $200,000 would see their bill rise by around $300 this year over last year.
A sample bill and other information on the tax hike is available at www.pickensprogress.com.
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| PHOTO BY DAN POOL |
| Explaining the forthcoming tax hike, Commissioner Rob Jones and finance director Mechelle Champion (right) presented Powerpoint slides to show the dwindling sales tax revenue. |
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