SNOW HILL — The Greene County Board of Commissioners is considering imposing an additional motor vehicle tax to help make ends meet in the next fiscal year’s budget.
The board also heard the latest budget amendments from Interim County Manager Richard Hicks, and approved three upcoming budget workshop meetings — at 2 p.m. April 24, May 1 and May 8, with the location to be determined.
Commissioner Bennie Heath broached the vehicle tax at a rather quiet and short meeting Monday night — compared with previous meetings since June.
Heath said he brought the subject up more than 10 years ago, but was told the county couldn’t impose such a fee.
But he recently found out Alleghany County in the northwestern portion of the state has been imposing the fee since 1994, charging $10 a year for “additional vehicle tax on motor vehicles with tax situs.”
Alleghany’s ordinance sites the state’s general statutes on state taxes to highway fund, gs 20-97 (a).
Heath compared it to the Global TransPark license tax, saying it is one of the fairest taxes.
“It’s something we really need to think about,” he said. “If there is a potential there for us, we need to pursue it because it would give everyone an opportunity to support Greene County — rather than just the property owners — like we do with the GTP license tags tax.”
Commissioner Denny Garner agreed.
“We had 17,385 license tags that were renewed last year,” he said, “so I think it’s something we definitely need to look at. This is cash.”
The board approved adding $71,000 of revenue to the general fund. The sale of the foreclosed Vandiford property was sold, providing the county $46,000. The county also received $25,000 from the current owner of a property flooded by Hurricane Irene.
An unexpected expense of $10,000 has to be paid to the town of Farmville from the water utilities fund.
“When that budget was prepared,” Hicks told the board, “you had limited experience on the booster pump status, and we’re getting more true and accurate costs now.”
The Senior Center received an extra USDA reimbursement of $720 for an increase of 60 cents for each of 1,200 meals and a $1,000 grant from the Department of Insurance.
However, the state is cutting about $8,757 from the congregate nutrition program at the Senior Center. Some of that could be covered by additional anticipated revenue from another in-home fund.
But Hicks said the congregate nutrition account will need to be monitored as future state and federal cuts are possible.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.
