Judge asking QC to allow voters to decide on sales tax

Voters may soon be asked to allow the county to continue collecting a sales tax approved in 2019 for the construction of the county jail. The St. Francis County Quorum Court is meeting this week to consider allowing voters to decide whether or not the county can continue collecting a portion of the sales tax to be used to fund general county services. If supported by justices, the election could be held in May. Members of the Court’s budget committee were scheduled to meet Monday afternoon to discuss a proposal by County Judge Craig Jones to allow 1/2 cent of the penny sales tax to become permanent. In December 2019, county voters approved a one-cent sales tax to construct the $10.5 million jail, to provide money for maintenance and operation of the facility and money for juvenile programs. Five-eighths of the one-cent tax was dedicated to construction bonds. Those bonds were originally scheduled to be retired in 2028, but are currently expected to sunset in August this year, after which that portion of the tax would no longer be collected. The remaining portions of the tax are already permanent, with 1/4 of the penny collected for upkeep of the jail and 1/8 dedicated to juvenile programs. Jones will ask justices to allow voters to decide whether or not to allow the county to continue collecting 1/2 cent of that tax to be used to fund general services. “This tax is scheduled to sunset in August. I would like to propose that we keep this sales tax on indefinitely for general services to county general,” Jones said in an email to justices ahead of Monday’s meeting. Jones anticipates the tax would generate $1.6 million each year to fund county services. When the tax for the jail was originally approved, the Quorum Court reduced the county’s millage rate for real estate and personal property owners to give them a tax break while paying the sales tax. After the tax was approved in 2019, the Quorum Court voted to reduce the county’s millage rate from 4.9 to 3.9 mills for five years. That reduction became effective in 2021 and was to continue through 2025. If the current proposal is allowed to go before voters, and approved, Jones proposes a further reduction in the county’s millage rate from 3.9 to 2.9 mills, which he said would be among the lowest county millage rates in the state. “We need to discuss our options on this sales tax, being that it is currently being paid on every purchase in the county and will not increase what taxpayers are paying now,” said Jones. “In fact, the sales tax will actually drop by 1/8th.” The Quorum Court was scheduled to meet at 5 this evening at the courthouse to consider the tax proposal.

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Judge asking QC to allow voters to decide on sales tax

Jones wants one-half cent of jail tax reallocated for county general services

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