Conservatism of Supervisors Challenged by Urgent Need to Raise Tax Rates

Five different representatives of Warren County departments stood before the Warren County Board of Supervisors at a special meeting on Tuesday, April 9, starting at 6 p.m. in the Warren County Government Center at 220 North Commerce Avenue, to explain critical funding needs that they are facing as the County gears up for the 2024/2025 fiscal year. Considering the restraints the local government is operating under with a cost that is two million dollars more than revenue, these critical funding needs come at a time when the only way to cover them, or pragmatically, a portion of them, is to raise tax rates, which is odious to a board that is characterized by conservatism. However, having heard these presentations as well as input from a public hearing, the board sought to strike a balance without sacrificing its core values.

The Warren County Board of Supervisors meets for a special meeting on the evening of April 9. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh.

The amount of unfunded service needs presented to the board totals $7,531,756 which stands apart from any cost the County already has. That number is divided into separate categories based on the needs of the various departments, making this “ask”. In an arrangement of possible tax rate increases presented to this reporter by County Administrator Edwin Daley upon arriving for the meeting, amounts of potential revenue are calculated based on increases of one or more cents alongside the percentage those increases represent. In the categories of real estate, machinery and tools, and personal property, the board had a consensus that a selection of tax rate increases needed to be made at that meeting, as kicking the can down the road is no longer feasible. In real estate, which is set at $0.49/$100 assessed, a motion from Supervisor Jerome Butler selected an 8% increase of $0.04 to make $0.53, generating $2,400,000. Accompanying this figure in machinery and tools where the baseline is $2.05/$100 assessed, Butler’s motion selected a 6% increase of $0.12 to make $2.17, generating $96,000. Finally, in a personal property where the baseline is $4.00/$100 assessed, Butler’s motion selected a 7% increase of $0.28 to make $4.28, which generates $1,540,000. Add these figures up and you get roughly $4,000,000. The motion passed with only one “no” from Supervisor Vicky Cook, who felt that a selection of rates that would generate $3,000,000 would be more appropriate.

Chief James Bonzano of Warren County Fire and Rescue addresses his department’s needs with the board.

Sheriff Crystal Cline of Warren County Sheriff’s Office addresses the board concerning her department’s needs

So, the County is now facing a $4,036,000 tax revenue that will assist them greatly as they determine on every front what they can cut and what is imperative. This is the figure that results from computing the rates on the sheet provided by Daley. The money may help Chief James Bonzano in the Fire and Rescue Department to buttress the number of people they employ so that when disasters like the recent wildfires occur, their resources are not stretched to the breaking point; it may help Sheriff Crystal Cline at the Sheriff’s Office to provide her team with the vehicles they need as well as the ballistic vests they need, along with a replacement of a camera system and the execution of final payment on radio equipment; it may help Todd Jones in Information Technology as he seeks to keep his resources in fine working condition and optimally secure; it may help Alisa Scott in Finance and Purchasing as she negotiates asset replacement needs; and it may help the superintendent at Warren County Public Schools as they deal with issues ranging from covering the cost of substitutes to making sure the playgrounds are well mulched.

Director of Technology Todd Jones of Warren County Information Technology addresses the board concerning his department’s needs.

Finance Director Alisa Scott of Warren County Finance and Purchasing explains to the board a list of asset replacement needs, grouped under “other assets” in the list of categories for which the board was considering raising tax rates to cover.

Finance Director Robert Ballentine of Warren County Public Schools addresses the board concerning the school system’s needs.

Supervisor Richard Jamieson spoke at length in comments from the supervisors before the vote. “This is a surreal situation,” he said. “I was elected. I said I was a lifelong conservative. I am a conservative.” He sympathized with every citizen who spoke in the public hearing against raising taxes. “I am that person,” he said. “But I didn’t never campaign to raise taxes; I campaigned to prioritize county government working within its means to manage taxes.” He went on to say: “Lest anyone think I’m naïve about financing, I’ve been a businessman for thirty-plus years.” Although he recognizes its imperfections, he sees how much potential this county has. “The people presently running the county care about the county; they want the county to thrive. They want the county to be healthy.” But he sees the county at a place where it can no longer kick the can down the road. And, of course, the county cannot print money. He is fully aware of the ghosts that haunt this community, like the EDA scandal and the questions about how the school system uses money. But we are not helpless. He recalls his campaign slogan: “Deal responsibly with the past and plan for the future.” If leadership requires an uncomfortable decision like the one the board had to make on Tuesday evening, then that decision must be made, in Jamieson’s view. Help us comb through the budget at future meetings, he urged the audience. Perhaps Jamieson discovers Warren County as Margaret Thatcher discovered England: either regulated in all the wrong ways or not where regulations are desperately needed. The analogy certainly extends to the willingness to be hated in the line of duty.

Having voted in favor of the tax increase, the board adjourned at 9:15 p.m.

Click here to watch the Board of Supervisors Meeting of April 9, 2024.