NEWTON COUNTY – In an attention-grabbing revelation, the Newton County Board of Commissioners (BOC) seems to be leaning in direction of permitting Home Invoice 581 (HB581) to enter impact in Newton County.
On the Wednesday, Jan. 29 particular known as assembly – a make-up for the Jan. 21 frequently scheduled assembly that was canceled as a result of snowy climate – a lot of the commissioners plainly declared their place on HB581, with solely Demond Mason (District 2) refraining from taking a transparent stance.
The tip of BOC conferences allots time for public feedback, adopted by commissioner feedback. Although HB581 was not an agenda merchandise final night time, 4 separate residents devoted parts of their podium time to talking in regards to the looming tax invoice.
Audio system included the previous District 3 Commissioner Alana Sanders, frequent citizen commenter Dave Norton of New child, in addition to Dennis Taylor and James Peterson.
Taylor identified that the residents of Newton County handed the poll measure in November 2024, and he argues that the individuals can be understanding of will increase to counter potential tax loss, such because the potential want to lift the millage price.
“Home Invoice 581 handed by a landslide in each district, each precinct in Newton County,” Taylor mentioned. “Individuals perceive the need of millage charges will increase. We had them for ten straight years and no commissioner was voted out. Anyone who selected to run once more had been re-elected. In order that they perceive in the event you needed to make a millage price change.”
District 1 Commissioner Stan Edwards echoed the potential for millage price will increase and mentioned that he’s leaning in direction of voting to stay opted into the homestead exemption.
“Mr. Taylor hit on the millage price,” Edwards mentioned. “There is a notion on the market when your tax or your property worth is frozen that your taxes won’t ever go up, properly that’s simply merely not the case. They might go down, however greater than possible they are going up. I believe it is necessary we all know, it doesn’t matter what your property worth is, we as commissioners have to regulate that multiplier – that millage price – to usher in the sum of money we’d like. So if your property worth goes down, we’ve nonetheless obtained to in all probability go up on the millage price to offset that lower.”
However Taylor expressed confidence within the board’s capabilities to develop tax options, referencing previous a long time of boards which have overcome obstacles.
“The idea that perhaps we won’t get by way of the onerous occasions, the previous board – a lot of y’all had been on it – managed us by way of COVID,” Taylor mentioned. “Nothing needed to be shut down. All the things stored working. Security departments stored working. Manner again in 2007, 2008, that board obtained us by way of that huge downturn, large downturn…Do not by no means [sic] doubt what you are able to do in crisises [sic].”
District 3 Commissioner Stephanie Lindsey definitively mentioned she needs to vote to let HB581 take impact in Newton County, however that she has not forgotten about senior taxation points and is keen about devoting extra efforts to creating senior tax aid.
“I like what Mr. Taylor mentioned when he mentioned that, you realize, that we have been by way of crises earlier than and we labored collectively as a board, and since we labored collectively as a board we had been in a position to get by way of these crises,” Lindsey mentioned. “That’s the one motive – the one motive – I am supporting HB581. So I am saying it for the report: I am supporting HB581.
I believe that that’s one thing that we must always do. I do not like the truth that we’re going to be caught in it, however within the spirit of what Mr. Taylor mentioned, I consider that we are able to work collectively to determine how we are able to maneuver by way of any points that we could have going ahead. So Commissioner Stephanie Lindsey of District 3 has mentioned ‘I assist it,’ however you additionally must consider, I’m additionally supporting [reducing] senior taxation.”
Commissioner J.C. Henderson (District 4) additionally expressed his inclination to let the invoice take impact in Newton County.
“I am certain that lots of people knew precisely what was on the poll,” Henderson mentioned. “They know. And once they went out and voted for it, guess what? They voted for what they wished for and the way they wished our county to be ran. I agree with Commissioner Stephanie Lindsey that we have to vote it in.”
Henderson additionally expressed his need to offer tax aid to senior residents.
“And our seniors,” Henderson mentioned. “, now we have finished the house restore and allow us to not mess this up too for our seniors. This county, this authorities goes to proceed to develop and the payments will proceed to be paid. So let’s do what’s proper by our residents of Newton County.”
District 5 Commissioner LeAnne Lengthy was additionally in assist of HB581.
“We would not even have these conferences [the public hearings required to opt out] as a result of I’m going to vote to remain in it,” Lengthy mentioned. “It is a balancing act. It is going to be very onerous, it’s going to be very onerous for this board. And I agree with Commissioner Edwards, that millage price might be going to go up.”
Chairman Marcello Banes ended the assembly with clarification on the potential public hearings and the authorized notices that might promote them.
The authorized notices posted on-line and ran in The Covington Information are required to incorporate particular jargon that claims the board (or every other governing physique performing on HB581) is declaring its ‘intent to decide out of homestead exemption.’ The board can select to carry the conferences for the sake of facilitating public participation after which vote to let HB581 take impact anyway.
If the board chooses to carry the hearings, the authorized discover could learn “The Newton County Board of Commissioners intends to decide out of the statewide adjusted base 12 months advert valorem homestead exemption…” which can not precisely mirror the board’s intentions.
“After we begin promoting for these conferences, I believe we’re placing a false notion on the market that the board is inclined to decide out of this 581,” Banes mentioned. “I believe you are going to have individuals who truly voted for 581, they are going to be upset, they are going to are available right here upset pondering that we’re about to decide out of one thing. So I would like y’all to rethink these conferences. I actually do not suppose we have to have these conferences if we’re going to remain in. I believe we simply want to remain in if we will keep in.”
The board has not formally voted on whether or not to remain in or decide out of HB581. As of press time, The Information has not obtained any authorized discover or communications from the county about scheduling public hearings.
Most different governing entities have scheduled public hearings to start the decide out course of. Particularly, the Newton County Board of Training and town of Oxford have appeared most intent on truly opting out of the invoice, although this stays topic to alter. Covington, New child and Social Circle have additionally scheduled their public hearings, however their leanings on the invoice are unknown.
Porterdale has not launched its stance on the invoice, making Mansfield and the BOC the one two our bodies to have clearly indicated a robust need to let HB581 take impact, although neither physique has formally declared its plans.
