Voters OK quarter-cent sales tax for Robeson County

• Local revenue option referendum results (since November 2007)

By Jason King
Assistant Communications Director

Make that 17 counties that have received voter approval to levy the additional quarter-cent sales tax. More than 69 percent of Robeson County voters said "yes" to the measure during a special referendum on Aug. 3, extending the string of successful referendums to seven dating back to March 2.

Robeson joins Alexander, Catawba, Cumberland, Duplin, Haywood, Hertford, Lee, Martin, New Hanover, Onslow, Randolph, Rowan, Pitt, Sampson, Surry and Wilkes counties in having the referendum pass.

Robeson County Manager Ken Windley said the county would see additional revenue of $2 million from the tax. Commissioners said that they would cut property taxes by 2 cents with part of the revenue – a message that resonated with voters, Windley said.

"People were willing to pay a little more on the sales tax in order to get the drop on the property tax rate," he said.

The other $1 million in revenue will be used for capital projects. Windley and Board of Commissioners Chairman Noah Woods said the county has a growing list of needs to address, including new ambulances, additional capacity at the detention center, and interior courthouse renovations.

"We've been telling citizens for a long time about our priority list for capital projects," Woods said. "We don't have the resources to do them. This is one way of helping us with these projects without a property tax increase."

Windley and Woods both said the county ran a low-key educational campaign and primarily got the word out about the referendum and how the additional revenue would be used by talking to various local civic organizations and churches.

Windley said no local group organized in opposition to the tax, but the John Locke Foundation voiced its opposition a few days before the referendum.

"Our position was that we are conservative people who feel that many of the ideas the John Locke Foundation supports are also ideas we support," Windley said. "We did however feel they did not do their due diligence in coming up with an opinion on our referendum without looking at the county budget" and other issues particular to Robeson County.

Woods said the organization's opposition didn't do much to sway the vote because the county had done its homework in educating citizens about the county's needs.

The next county with a scheduled referendum is Watauga, which will poll voters on Aug. 31.

Alleghany, Clay and Harnett recently added their names to the list of counties that will hold the referendum on Nov. 2. Others pursuing the sales tax on the date of the General Election are Alamance, Bladen, Cherokee, Columbus, Montgomery and Orange counties.

During their July 19 vote, Harnett County commissioners said they would use the additional revenue to build new schools to meet increased enrollment demands – most of which has been caused by base realignment. Harnett borders Cumberland County, home to Fort Bragg.

During a special meeting July 29, the Clay County Board of Commissioners said the additional revenue could help fund construction of a new school.

Other counties, including Durham, Guilford, Halifax and Mecklenburg, have recently discussed holding future referendums. Commissioners in Durham and Mecklenburg counties decided not to pursue the option.

During an Aug. 2 meeting, Halifax County commissioners took steps toward holding a referendum in February 2011.

Strategies for running a successful referendum will be the subject of a workshop on Friday, Aug. 27, from 1:45 – 3 p.m. during the NCACC's 103rd Annual Conference in Pitt County.