As a result of the town meeting, held on June 22nd, 2014, the town of Bladenboro has decided to increase the tax rate percentage from 0.59 per hundred to 0.643 per hundred. The decision to raise taxes comes as a solution to decreased property values and tax revenue.
The tax increase, voted in at 5-1, continues to receive mixed feelings. For the second consecutive year, Commissioner Everette Butler voted against the new budget; when Bladen Online reached out to Commissioner Butler, he declined to comment on the issue.
Several residents expressed their discontent with the towns’ decision to raise taxes, arguing that it adds a burden to the citizens of Bladenboro that some will have difficulty carrying. Others feel that it is only a bandage placed over a cut that is still bleeding, explaining that the only real solution is to create a more attractive locale for would-be businesses- not by raising taxes.
Another subject feels that decreased property values are not a reason to increase taxpayer burdens. Doing the math (at a rate of 0.59 per hundred), a property value decrease of nearly $6 million only equates to a net loss of tax revenue of just over $34,000. Arguing that this amount could have been handled using an appropriated funds account, making a tax increase on residents unnecessary.
However, participants on both sides of the fence can agree on the words of Benjamin Franklin, when he said “…nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Perhaps this is especially representative of Town Councilman Terry Nance’ when he was previously quoted saying, “I don’t like raising taxes… I wish there was some alternative, but there is not…”
While speaking with Mayor Rufus Duckworth about the tax increase, he remarked that the increase from 0.59 to 0.643 was revenue neutral, and intended only to prevent the towns’ budget from facing a deficit. The decision to raise taxes was “…not easy, but necessary to achieve a balanced budget for the 2nd consecutive year.”
“If the deficit had been remedied using reserves,” explained Mayor Duckworth, “…the underlying problem would not have been fixed. The goal of a budget is to cover expenses without the use of town reserves, which are set aside for emergency purposes, such as natural disasters and urgent community needs.”
In closing, Mayor Duckworth wanted to take the opportunity to reassure the citizens of Bladenboro, that “…had there not been a reevaluation this year, our tax rate would not have changed.” However, “…it is responsible, and in the best interest of the community in which they serve, for an elected official to strive to achieve a balanced budget every year.”
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