County Commission raises property tax rate 14 cents

Faced with a room filled with citizens who were concerned their property tax rate might be raised by as much as $1.50, the Cannon County Commission faced some tough decisions Thursday night during a special called meeting to approve appropriations and set the tax rate to fund them for Fiscal Year 2017-18.

Approving appropriations was the easy part, although the commissioners later made some cuts to expenditures.

Settling on the tax rate proved to be much more difficult, as some commissioners were opposed to any increase.

In the end a compromised was reached, as the commissioners faced a self-imposed mandate to have the budget finalized by July 22.

There were some budget casualties. The Cannon County Veterans Service Office and the Cannon County Community Center had their funding eliminated for the remainder of the fiscal year. The savings created is around $60,000.

County Executive Mike Gannon said because commissioners eliminated funding, the community center, including the pool, would be closed as of Monday (July 24).

Commissioners finally voted to raise property taxes 14 cents, which is an increase from $2.75 to $2.89.

Voting for the increase were commissioners Mark Barker, Russell Reed, Karen Ashford, Jamie Holloway, Richie Hunter and Adam Melton. Voting in opposition were Jim Bush, Brent Bush and Glenn Steakley,

The vote on the 14-cent increase failed initially, but Ashford changed her vote from no to yes.

It took the commissioners several tries to settle on any tax rate.

At first, a motion by Jim Bush to leave the rate at $2.75 failed by a 5-4 vote.

Next, Ashford made a motion to raise the rate 25 cents. That too failed 5-4.

Barker followed with a motion to raise it 20 cents. Again it was rejected 5-4, as Jim Bush, Brent Bush, Reed, Holloway and Steakley steadfastly opposed any increase until Holloway agreed to the hike of 14 cents.

The state wants the county to reach and maintain a fund balance of $1.5 million at all times, and 10 cents of the increase will go toward that goal.

The budget represents a $313,000 increase over last year. Of that, $120,000 is to hire four new jailers at the Cannon County Jail, which consistently houses twice the inmates it is designed to hold; $60,000 for two new vehicles for the sheriff's office; $75,000 for a truck for the Cannon County Rescue Squad, and $27,000 for state-mandated raises.