Millage, sales tax proposal won’t appear on November ballot in Wayne County
The Wayne County Board of Commissioners recently concluded a series of public hearings to gather input on a measure that would eliminate a portion of property tax and increase the sales and use tax by less than one-half percent. The commissioners decided the proposal would not appear on the November ballot.
Dan Starcher
The Wayne County Board of Commissioners recently concluded a series of public hearings at the Wayne County Schools Career Center to gather input and provide information on proposed changes to the county’s property tax and sales and use tax structures and has decided not to pursue a November ballot measure.
The hearings centered on a proposal to adopt resolutions that would reduce the inside property 2-millage tax and establish a 0.45% permissive sales and use tax as a replacement. The proposal, linked to House Bill 335, is aimed at delivering financial relief to homeowners.
“At this time we are not moving forward with this proposal; it will not appear on the November ballot,” Wayne County Board of Commissioners President Dave McMillen said. “Our responsibility is to perform due diligence, and we believe it is critical to gather more input before making a decision that would have long-term effects on county revenue and public services. We value the time, effort and thoughtful input from everyone who attended the hearings.”
Several attendees expressed concerns that reducing the inside 2 mills now would not prevent future boards of commissioners from re-establishing the millage, a possibility the current commissioners acknowledged they could not guarantee.
“Although the Wayne County Commissioners have the authority to increase the sales and use tax, we are not pursuing that option,” Commissioner Matt Martin said. “We believe any change of that nature should be voted on and decided by the public, and we want to be fully transparent and make that clear.”
Additional questions and concerns focused on the financial and legal ramifications. Key considerations included the proposal’s effect on homestead exemptions and property valuations, the stability of sales tax revenue compared to property tax income, and the potential impacts on critical services provided by the county.
“Hearing directly from the public is an essential part of this process,” Commissioner Jonathan Hofstetter said. “We will continue to monitor developments in state tax policy and may revisit local tax restructuring in the future if necessary. Any new proposal would also include more public hearings.”
Dan Starcher is the public communications coordinator for Wayne County.
