County poised to approve half-cent sales tax, again

By Lisa Majors-Duff

Though board members made their intentions clear in June when they first adopted a resolution to raise taxes, state officials have asked counties to pass a second document stating the same thing, finance officer Darlene Fox reported during last week's meeting (Oct. 3).

The additional one-half cent sales tax was made available to North Carolina counties by the Legislature effective Dec. 1. The revenue is meant to take the place of inventory reimbursements collected by the state and previously passed to the counties. Gov. Mike Easley has held those reimbursements this year to address the state budget shortfall.

"In the seven-month period, December to June, we are expecting to generate $819,740," Fox said. "That's $192,382 more than the withheld reimbursements would have been for the same period."

Since no public hearing is required before adoption, board members are expected to vote on the sales tax increase during a special meeting scheduled for 5 p.m. today (Thursday). The board is also expected to hear a request for a revolving loan from EDC Chairman Tom McClure today.

In other business before the board last week, commissioners discussed at length two requests from rental property owners to waive penalties accessed for late payment of room occupancy taxes. For every day the tax is not paid, property owners are assessed a $10 late fee by the state.

Commissioners, who have the option of waiving these fees, have made a habit of doing so when property owners have provided explanations for late payments.

The two before the board last week were an $880 penalty against Duke's Carolina Cabin and a $30 fee assessed to Winding Waters Cottages.

While board members were in general agreement prior to their vote to waive the lesser of the fees, Commissioner Roberta Crawford moved to deny the penalty assessed to Billy and Kay Duke since the couple had been provided with the information necessary to pay the room tax.

Crawford's motion failed 4-1 and was immediately followed by a motion to waive the Duke's fee by Commissioner Stacy Buchanan, who pointed out the board's willingness on several occasions to forgive fees for what he termed "a misunderstanding."

During his comments to the board, county Manager Ken Westmoreland reported that a land disturbances activity on Pine Creek is exempt from the county's sediment control ordinance because it is intended to expand a Christmas tree farm, which is defined as an agriculture activity. Commissioner Franz Whitmire had asked that the situation be investigated since runoff from the site had washed into the creek and Lake Glenville.

Westmoreland also reported that leachate from the county's former construction and demolition site in Dillsboro had seeped into the Tuckaseigee River, a incident reportable to the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Acting on a request from Mountain Trace Nursing Center administrator David Hunt, commissioners approved a $5,000 appropriation for the Caring Hands Respite Program.

Appointments approved last week included Darrell Fox to the Solid Waste Advisory Board and both Lois Robinson and Marie Metcalf to the Public Library Board.

The next regular meeting of the board is set for 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Justice Center.

Back to Archive: 10/10/02.