Utility tax discussed
Published 11:11 am Thursday, January 18, 2018
At a recent meeting of the Charlotte County Board of Supervisors, the county’s utility tax was discussed with the possibility of being reconsidered.
“This is something that came up in my community meeting,” said Red Oak/Wylliesburg Supervisor Kay Pierantoni.
Gary Walker
She said individuals in the community were concerned about why a tax was still being paid on the light bills.
Pierantoni said after looking back at her own light bill, she saw the tax in the amount of $2.50. She said the tax for businesses was much higher.
“I found a business that paid over $1,000 in the month of October for that county tax,” Pierantoni said.
She said the tax was originally implemented to help pay the cost for Eureka Elementary School when it was built in 1983.
However, the school has been paid for now.
Kay Pierantoni
She said currently, the towns of Drakes Branch, Keysville, and Charlotte Court House take that tax for the respective towns from citizens who live in those areas.
She said the money comes directly from the utility companies to those towns.
Pierantoni said the tax was unfair to the rest of the citizens in the county who did not live in those towns, because “the tax that the rest of us pays goes into the general fund.”
She said last year, the total amount was $231,000.
“I’m not trying to hurt the towns, they can keep getting that money if they want to, but we’re gonna have to find a way to be fair to the other citizens of our county …,” said Pierantoni.
Chairman of the Supervisors Gary Walker said the county will soon start working on the upcoming budget and the matter is an appropriate issue for that time.
“So for 2018, all those people don’t get that money back?” said Aspen/Phenix Supervisor Donna Fore. “They basically pay their tax for nothing, it’s not benefiting them, unless you live in Keysville, Charlotte Court House or Drakes Branch, my people don’t get any money from that county utility tax.”
“We can’t solve it today . . .,” Walker said.
Walker said if any adjustments are going to be made, it would be appropriate to place them in the upcoming year’s budget.
