The Wilson Post
LEBANON WEATHER

Sales tax wording omits cities’ money




Hutto

Hutto

Discussion regarding the potential sales tax rate increase in Wilson County took a turn last week as county leaders addressed questions about the wording of the resolution on the ballot.

If approved, the county sales tax rate would increase from 9.25 percent to 9.75 percent, which equals to about an additional 50 cents on a $100 purchase.

At the recent Wilson County education committee meeting some residents questioned why the entire increase would not go to increase teacher salaries. State law requires that half of the money go toward the municipalities where it is raised, which is not indicated on the ballot.

Some said during the committee meeting that the wording on the ballot failed to represent the entire breakdown and possibly created confusion with voters. 

“All the money going to education will go to teacher salaries. It doesn’t say that on the ballot,” Wilson County Commissioner John Gentry said. “If (we’d have) just said all education dollars from this will go to teacher raises, that would have been much clearer in my mind.”

“It’s common knowledge all of the sales tax increase is going to classroom teachers — all that goes to education. Half of that goes to the city or county where it’s raised,” Wilson County Attorney Mike Jennings said. “All that can go to education goes there. The other half of that increase goes to the city it’s collected, and we can’t do anything about that.”

Jennings said he worked with Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto, Commissioner Annette Stafford and Wilson County Schools Deputy Director Mickey Hall to create the resolution, which highlights “raises for classroom teachers” as the beneficiary.

“We met and we drafted some language. People down (at the state) didn’t like it,” said Jennings, noting the resolution was fewer than 300 words. 

“There’s a whole lot that could go on there to be truthful with you, because what we’re raising is the local portion — 2.25 to 2.75. When you put that on there, then people won’t understand what that means because they’re thinking sales tax is 9.25, not 2.25,” Hutto said. “It really gets convoluted when you try to put everything on there that needs to be on there.”

“Somebody said, ‘Why didn’t you spell it out?’ Can you imagine trying to put that on the ballot?” Jennings said. 

Wilson County Administrator of Elections Phillip Warren said any time a resolution is fewer than 300 words, the Wilson County Election Commission is required to put the resolution “word for word” on the ballot. 

“This resolution is exactly what was certified by the clerk that the Wilson County Commission did as amended,” Warren said. “We didn’t change the wording and they didn’t send us anything different.”

Warren said the Wilson County’s Election Commission’s role is to administer elections and not advocate or influence any item on the ballot. 

“I, nor any of the ballot workers, can clarify or expound on ballot items,” Warren said. “We just say, ‘The ballot speaks for itself.’ ”

Jennings

Jennings

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