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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > December > 02 > Entry
Should sales tax hike be on table as county struggles with budget?
“Between a rock and a hard place.” “Catch-22.” “No win situation.”
These are the phrases Butler County Commissioner Gregory Jolivette used when asked whether the county was seriously considering raising sales tax to bolster its recession-battered budget.
The question came at a breakfast meeting with all local chambers of commerce this morning, Dec. 2. All three commissioners attended the event at Tori’s Station in Fairfield.
The answer: Two of three commissioners wouldn’t rule out a sales tax hike, but only as a last resort.
“I’m open for discussion on this issue, even though it could be very detrimental to my political future,” said Jolivette, who faces a tough re-election race next year.
“It would be irresponsible to say you definitely wouldn’t raise taxes,” said Commissioner Charles Furmon.
Commission President Donald Dixon disagreed, saying any increased revenues would “just get lost in a big, black hole,”
“Quite frankly, I think our spending has been out of control,” he said.
Jolivette and Furmon both argued that the county’s books have been well tended, and they were on the way to building massive reserves with one of the lowest sales taxes in the state until the bottom fell out because of recession.
They made it clear they prefer cuts as well, and would only consider a tax hike as opposed to declaring fiscal emergency and having the state take over the county’s books.
Facing a $6.6 million projected budget deficit next year, commissioners said the other alternatives aren’t very appealing: drastically reducing services, and —Â in Jolivette’s case —Â pushing for cuts to the sheriff, prosecutor and courts that could leave him open to criticisms of being soft on crime.
“I think (raising) the sales tax is one of the last things anyone wants to do,” Furmon said. “But it’s incumbent upon us to provide the services (and) if it has to be at the end of the day, I think we’ll have to look at it.”
With a sales tax of 6.25 percent, Butler County is tied with two other counties for having the lowest sales tax in the state. But Jolivette said this isn’t the economic boon it should be.
“Do we get credit for having the lowest sales tax rate?” he said. “They don’t think about that when they go to Cincinnati to shop, or up north where it’s 7 percent.”
Permalink | Comments (9) | Post your comment | Categories: County Commission, County budget
Comments
By JMB
December 3, 2009 1:03 AM | Link to this
The budget for 2010 must be reduced. If there are department heads who do not reduce their budgets, then taxes could be raised to cover the shortfall and then the voters could get rid of the unco-operative department heads in the next election. When new department heads are elected, they would then understand why they were elected and be willing to reduce their budgets and the extra taxes then could then be removed. It’s all quite simple. A department head’s responsibility is balancing the budget in their department which includes cost reductions when required. However, an another solution could be to shut down all county services except the board of elections, the prosecutor’s office and the sheriff’s office and let the people decide in the next election whether those department heads should remain. I’m pretty sure that after no road repair or snow plowing, no children’s service, no auditor, no treasurer, no cleck of courts the public would become quite angry. Sounds silly- yes - but so are the county departments who refuse to reduce their budgets so all the other departments can survive. The county as a whole needs to reduce the 2010 budget as painful as it is. There is no other way.
By greatly concerned
December 3, 2009 8:46 AM | Link to this
The GOP Tea Party protests are going to take on a whole new light when they increase their own taxes. They have already lost their ethics and morality, now add to that: credibility. You can’t preach one thing and do another…oops, I forgot this is Butler County politics, of course you can do whatever you want. My plea to the three wise men…PLEASE take control of your elected officials and ENFORCE the budget cuts. DO YOUR JOB or STEP DOWN and let someone else do it.
By Paul
December 3, 2009 9:02 AM | Link to this
Why is this so hard, cut every department the same percent across the board. Those that don’t want to accept that, tell them to grow up and stop crying. Jones, Piper and McGary remind me of the screaming kids I see in stores, mad because Mommy wouldn’t buy them the toy they wanted.
By Tony
December 3, 2009 9:19 AM | Link to this
Hey you Tea Baggers, those taxes you preach about are going up and your favorite politician, Richard K, Jones is the driving force behind it. What have you got to say now?
By Commision Watcher
December 3, 2009 9:34 AM | Link to this
Why is the county broke. Look at today’s commissioners meeting agenda. There is $14,000.00 in travel to be approved. The commissioners have become a Travel Agent and the taxpayers are footing the bill but not going on the trip.
By Dan
December 3, 2009 10:11 AM | Link to this
I wish Don Dixon would tell us his plan. He doesn’t want to cut the budget of his buddies the sheriff, and prosecutor, or his girl friend at the board of elections. He doesn’t want to raise the sales tax. So how does Dixon propose to cut over $5 million dollars out of the budget? To fund his threesome, he’d have to decimate the other departments and agencies of county government. Come on Don, tell us your plan.
By County CROOKS strike again
December 3, 2009 8:58 PM | Link to this
The new BC Auditor surely doesnt think we have a budget crisis…..not only did he hire an unneeded new employee but he is knocking down walls and painting his office the same color as urine…what REPUBLICANS do for this County
By Just Wondering
December 4, 2009 2:18 PM | Link to this
Sometime ago it was reported in the HJN that Commissioner Furmon in solidarity with the county employees who had taken pay cuts was returning 10% of his salary. At the time Don Dixon was quoted in the pages of the HJN that he would be returning 20%. Jolivette was going to donate 10% to the Chamber of Commerce. Where does this stand now, why no follow up reporting?
By Gary
December 6, 2009 7:26 PM | Link to this
The county should learn to live within their budget just like the taxpayer!