The Greene County Board of Supervisors are once again bringing a ballot measure to the voters in the unincorporated portion of the county for the upcoming election.

The ballot question is changing the revenue purpose statement for the Local Option Sales and Services Tax (LOSST) funds from “100% rural property tax relief and any other lawful purpose,” to “100% for any lawful purpose.” Supervisor Chair John Muir says the goal for the change is to use the additional funds that are generated from LOSST to pay for the $3.4 million HVAC and new roof projects for the Greene County Courthouse. However, $1.8 million is coming from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that were allocated by the federal government during the covid pandemic, making the other portion being paid through LOSST.

However, Muir admits the confusing part of the ballot says that the change in how LOSST funds are spent are 0% property tax relief, which is not true. He states that the ballot language is required to read that way due to state law. 

County Auditor Billie Jo Hoskins says the county receives an average of $540,000 of LOSST annual revenue from the goods and services within the county. Of that amount, Hoskins notes every year about $360,000 are transferred to Secondary Roads to maintain and repair roads and other related projects, and $40,000 is pulled into the Greene County Sheriff’s Office for a new patrol vehicle. The additional amount that is left over is saved. However, the one difference that Hoskins explains is there is one final $50,000 payment that the Board pledged to The Children’s Center for its new building. 

Hoskins illustrates that this is how the county has handled its LOSST funds as a form of property tax relief. She points out that if the ballot measure is approved, the Board will continue to transfer the amount of LOSST money to Secondary Roads and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, but then use about $200,000 of the leftover LOSST funds to pay back the $1.6 million of bonds over the course of several years. Muir adds that if the ballot measure fails to get a simple majority vote by the unincorporated voters of 50%-plus one, then one of the main realities is having to pay for the HVAC and new roof projects through property taxes from the general fund, which would mean everyone in the county would see their property taxes increase. 

 

Supervisor Vice-Chair Dawn Rudolph says the current boiler to heat the courthouse is at the end of its life and to ensure that the courthouse continues to be a viable structure, they need to make this investment in a HVAC system, along with a new roof. She notes that the ARPA funds would need to be used by the end of the 2025 calendar year, or that money goes back to the federal government. She emphasizes that this ballot measure will not change anyone’s property taxes, as LOSST funds are generated from the goods and services that people pay for in the county. 

 

This same ballot question previously failed the first time during a special election earlier this year in March with 82 no votes against 78 yes votes. The revenue purpose statement change would go into effect at the beginning of next fiscal year on July 1, 2025. Early in-person voting at the courthouse, and the first day that absentee ballots can be mailed is October 16th.