Commissioners hold special meeting, don’t vote
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Commissioners had indicated they were in favor of a sales tax referendum by a 19-4 margin in a straw vote taken at an earlier meeting June 30. Most commissioners seemed to feel the specially called meeting was just a formality to allow the commission to officially pass the resolution once it was drawn up. The resolution on the sales tax referendum was the only item on the docket.
Commissioner George Smartt introduced the resolution and read that the stated purpose was to raise the local option sales tax. But when Commission Chairperson Sally Brock asked if there was any discussion, Commissioner Les Trotman, addressed the chair and made a motion to table the resolution until the next meeting.
“It would appear that in this resolution for this sales tax referendum, we don’t necessarily have all the information we need to make an informed decision on this yet,” Trotman said.
“It’s my understanding that there’s some questions as to what the school system has agreed with so far as how the money will be dispensed and that type of thing,” Trotman continued. “It affects the tax rate, and as such, I move that we table this until our next meeting, giving the school board a chance to make a decision on it.”
With no further discussion, County Court Clerk David Smartt did a roll call vote that resulted in the motion passing, 12-10, with two commissioners absent.
At that point, as at least 10 commissioners sat in stunned silence, county attorney Larry Stanley gave Brock her only option.
“Entertain a motion to adjourn,” Stanley said. “That’s all you can do.”
The meeting then ended without a vote on the very resolution it was specially called to address.
The general reaction was one of surprise and confusion.
“Once again we amaze ourselves at how we can complicate simple matters,” Commissioner George Smartt said, noting the county would not be able to share in any sales tax money this year even if the city decided to hold its own referendum, which it ultimately decided to do yesterday.
“We will not be involved in the referendum,” Smartt said. “We will not be able to collect money, as I understand it, in the first year even if it passes. Because the city is going to go ahead and start it tomorrow, so that knocks us out of $650,000 to $1 million that could have come into the county.”
For her part, Brock said the meeting had been a waste of funds.
“What are all these people thinking that want to save the taxpayers money?” said Brock. “Why did we bother to have a meeting tonight?”
Some commissioners even suggested the group should waive their special meeting fee of $25 since no decision was made.
Trotman explained his motion after the meeting.
“There were just too many unanswered questions,” he said. “We did not have definitive answers to give us enough information for commissioners to be voting on something this important for the people of Warren County.”