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Council remains mum on tax
increase justifications Edgefielddaily.com web postedApril 12, 2005 Staff reporting Edgefield County Council is set to pass a second reading on the Ordinance for a Road Maintenance Fee of $15 for each motorized registered vehicle, camper, RV, and other such non-motorized trailers and similar registered equipment at its May 3, 2005 regular meeting. A 6:00pm Public hearing will be held shortly before the meeting as required. Administrator Wayne Adams states the tax will be “offset” by a 3.7 reduction in the millage rate, or just under $12.00 per $100,000 value of a home. Edgefield County is one of the poorest counties in the state with the highest tax rate comparatively than any other location. With Council dropping property tax on one’s home by a paltry $12.00 and taxing the same typical family with two or three cars, a camper or boat, or trailer an additional $45.00 at minimum and some as much as $90.00, council is claiming this is a savings to the taxpayer. How is astonishing. With the median value of a home in Edgefield County running at $83,400 most will see little in the way of reductions in property tax. Looking at the median wage of county residents, which rests at just over $35,000 per household, the tax increase for the area jumps to record levels with total tax liability climbing to even newer heights. This during a time when gas prices have almost doubled over last year and are expected to climb even higher. The timing of the tax raises serious concerns for many residents as cost of living expenses continue to rise with no end in sight. “I am going to be paying more taxes for my cars than I do my home,” said one resident. Others feel it is directed at the lower income residents who live in mobile homes in an attempt to force them out of the county. Most residents will see a drop in their home taxes around $10.00 or less and a substantial increase in their overall tax liability. When we looked at comparative data on several families we found the average rate of increase would have exceeded the maximum level allowed by law. The county seems to be circumventing the law by calling the tax increase a fee to avoiding having to address the issue of admitting they have raised taxes beyond the level allowed and vote on such in a public hearing and a public vote. Similar taxes have been ruled unconstitutional in recent cases in South Carolina. Edgefield County’s plan surely fits into those rulings. Furthermore the wording of the tax is ambiguous and open-ended and does not pertain to specific expenditures, further eroding the basis and the legality of the tax. Council member Joel Hudson of Merriwether was sent questions regarding the tax he strongly supports. Messages were left for others. None have responded on the record but have supported the tax in the vote to move the proposal forward. Councilman Norman Dorn is the lone purveyor of fiscal responsibility in this matter by opposing the decision to proceed. Return to
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