White County Commissioners will not reduce the property tax rate despite some $6 million in incoming revenue from Waste Management.
Board Chairman Derrick Hutchings said the money would mean moving the White County Animal Shelter, which still lives on the landfill property.
“The animal shelter is part of this $6 million deal,” Hutchings said. “The animal shelter is going to have to be moved in the next eight years. We have to find a place for the animal shelter. I constantly talk about the fire department, emergency services, our fire trucks are 20, 30 years old. Those are one-time expenditures. The animal shelter, to build and move, is a one-time expenditure.”
District 2 Board Member T.K. Austin said he wanted to go on record supporting a tax cut to ease the financial burden on residents.
“If I can help the community by lowering the tax this year, then I’m all for lowering the tax to help people this year,” Austin said.
District 3 Commissioner Becky Golden disagreed. Golden said she could not get behind slashing the tax rate for this year’s budget as a result of the increased revenue.
“It is a one-time thing,” Golden said. “I don’t agree with dropping the tax rate one time because we’re going to have needs. We have roads, we have EMS, we have a Sheriff’s Department, we have everything else. And then we drop this tax rate one time, and that is going to be one time, and then go right back up. There’s just something going on with it, and I’m just saying I’m not on board with it.”
Chairman Derrick Hutchings said the county has struggled to find funding for specialized needs, such as a new animal shelter that must be relocated within the next eight years. Hutchings said the $6 million could be used for one-time expenditures like fire trucks or road improvements rather than offsetting recurring expenses.
“I just think the $6 million could go a lot further in our county than a one-time year’s save,” Hutchings said.
District 6 Commissioner Roger Mason said it would be irresponsible for the current board to make such a significant financial decision just months before an election. Mason said with nine commissioners and the county executive vacating their seats this year, the decision should be left to the incoming administration.
“I’d rather you guys have the ability to do that than me make this decision now and then mess it up on the way out,” Mason said.
District 7 Commissioner Kyle Goff, who previously served as the budget committee chairman, said the county has historically turned away departments that desperately needed funding. Goff said dropping the tax rate by 28 percent would sabotage the next administration because it would likely necessitate a massive tax hike the following year.
“Not only will I vote no to this, I may vote no to everything for the next three months because I can’t trust what happens,” Goff said.
