Sales tax on Burke ballot

Quarter-cent increase up for November vote may raise $1 million

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

MORGANTON -- Burke County voters will vote in November on a quarter-cent sales tax increase to improve public water and stave off an increase in property taxes.

Burke commissioners agreed Tuesday to hold a sales-tax referendum on the ballot during the general election Nov. 4.

The decision passed 4-1, with Maynard Taylor voting against the referendum.

If approved, the sales tax increase could raise more than $1 million a year, which could be used to improve the county's public water infrastructure, said Commissioner Jack Carroll.

"We're talking about (putting this toward) a county project," he said. "If it's not passed, the only alternative we have ... to address this issue is property tax."

If voters don't pass the referendum, Carroll said, commissioners may later be forced to raise property taxes an additional 2 cents per $100 valuation.

Burke is the third county in the Catawba Valley to propose raising sales taxes since state lawmakers agreed to let counties include the measure on the ballot as a way to generate additional income.

Alexander County voters passed a similar referendum in January, and in November, Catawba County overwhelmingly approved a quarter-cent sales tax hike.

Commissioners decided to delay the vote until November, said Commission Chairman Wayne Abele, because they wanted to reach as many Burke residents as possible and are expecting more voters to participate in the general election than the May primary.

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