Citizens voice concerns about property taxes and roads

A standing-room-only crowd turned out on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, for the first of three public hearings conducted by the County Commission on a proposed property tax increase due to property reassessments required by the State. It had been over 10 years since the County had been reassessed. 

The County Commission held a special called meeting on Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 27, to discuss the budget on which the County’s tax millage rate will be based and EMS bids. The Commissioners are considering more revenue sources for the budget, or expenditure cuts if any may be found. They have discussed rolling back the millage rate from 11.862 mills to 11.038 mills, without the tentative tax increase. This would result in a loss of $407,238 in tax revenue.

During the public hearing on Aug. 19, county officials read into the record a letter from the Heard family about road conditions with flooding of property on Forest Hill Road and a letter from Jason and Andrea McCranie about nearly “impassable” road conditions on Robert Day Road. 

Julie Ratts then spoke about poor road conditions on Quillie Jones Road, where she has lived more than 20 years without it being fixed. “This is ridiculous,” she told the Commissioners. “This is our lives. You’re playing games with our lives. … You want our money. We want service.”

Ron Mozzo, a Vietnam veteran, then asked for a discount on County property taxes for older military veterans. He noted that other communities offer such discounts.

Aulton White of Val-Del Road said his retirement income is fixed while taxes and the cost of living keep going up. There is going to be a point where he can no longer afford all the costs, he told the Commissioners. “Be more frugal with your spending.”

Christy Trimble of Guy Coppage Road also remarked about the bad conditions on her road. She said the Road Department has tried to repair the road but it keeps deteriorating. She was critical about actions taken by a citizen on Sanders Road. She added that her daughter was unable to stay at home for a week due to road conditions, and her father was unable to get out on Postell Road due to flooding on both sides of the road.

Kerry Eppes of Massee Post Road said the goal should be to build up the local industrial base and bring in new businesses, not to raise taxes, as a means of increasing revenue to local governments. 

Roger Mays of Eason Stalvey Road remarked that nobody wants a tax increase, but he has seen how “responsible and frugal” the Commissioners try to be. He noted that there were many complaints about the roads, but the Road Department needs tax funding for the equipment they need to maintain the roads.

The Commissioners brought in Lee Folsom, chairman of the Cook County Board of Assessors, to discuss the reassessments, and the ratio of assessed property values to property sale prices that the County must maintain to comply with state guidelines. If the ratio falls below a certain level, the State could penalize the County, or assess the properties itself and impose significant property tax increases. Also, if the ratio drops below a certain level, the County cannot assess the properties of public utilities. The County’s goal is to reach the ratio range that the State desires of 38 to 42 percent.

Altheia Paige of Adel said an increase in County property taxes affects city residents even more because they also pay city property taxes. “We’re already overburdened right now,” she said.

Jody Meeler of Pine Valley Circle said higher pay and more training for Road Department employees would result in roads that are better maintained.

Steve Weeks of Lonnie Grimsley Road urged the Commissioners to find areas where they can tighten the County budget and keep property taxes as low as they can.