BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE – The idea of a new sales tax surcharge was floated during the April 6 Bradford County Commission budget workshop.
According to County Clerk Denny Thompson, the county could place a 1-cent sales tax referendum on the ballot for the upcoming election, which if approved by voters, could raise more than $2 million in revenue.
Thompson said the Emergency Fire Rescue Services and Facilities Sales Surtax would not be new revenue, however, as levying the tax requires the commission to rollback property tax revenue by the same amount. Essentially it would be a wash.
What makes the sales tax attractive to some, however, is that it spreads the cost of government services out to a larger group of people. Like the gas tax, it would be paid by anyone who makes taxable purchases in Bradford County.
Currently, the property tax rate is maxed at 10 mills. Only property owners pay that tax.
There could be complications that prohibit the county from moving forward. To date, only a single county — Liberty — has levied the surtax for EMS and fire services and facilities. Implementation and annual requirements have proved so tedious that Liberty may abandon the tax.
Still, Bradford County commissioners seem interested in finding a way to fund fire rescue, with new special assessments being the last resort. They have also expressed interest in rolling back the property tax rate.
The board can’t act on the surtax without public approval, however, and it remains to be seen whether voters would understand they would be swapping a penny more at the cash register in order to lower annual tax bills.
The clerk’s office and county attorney are continuing to research the surtax option, and met with commissioners April 12 to discuss this and other potential revenue sources.
