Agenda - 04-05-2011 - 4g - Laserfiche WebLink

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A Special Advisory Referendum Concerning the Levy of a Gne-Quarter Cent X114¢} County Sales and Use Tax was held in Grange County on November 2, 2010. The election results were 20,896 votes cast FGR and 21,953 votes AGAINST an additional one-quarter cent X114¢} county sales and use tax. The first possible date the Board can consider for a Special Advisory Referendum Concerning the Levy of a Gne-Quarter Gent X114¢} County Sales and Use Tax referendum, is November 8, 2011. North Carolina General Statutes 105-455 states that "The county board of elections shall fix the date of the special election, except that the special election shall not be held on the date or within 60 days of any biennial election of county officers, nor within one year from the date from the date last preceding special election under the section." Although a public hearing is not required by the North Carolina General Statutes, the Board held a public hearing on March 15, 2011 to solicit comments from the public on a possible November S, 2011 Special Advisory Referendum Concerning the Levy of a Gne-Quarter cent X114¢} County Sales and Use Tax. After the public hearing, the Board discussed the potential referendum and directed staff to place the attached Resolution Scheduling a Special Advisory Referendum Concerning the Levy of a Gne-Quarter cent X114¢} County Sales and Use Tax on the April 5, 2011 meeting. The Board also directed staff to schedule a public hearing at the April 5, 2411 meeting on the possible uses for the potential proceeds from the additional sales tax if approved by voters. That public hearing is on the agenda later during this April 5, 2011 regular Board meeting. It should be noted that, according to Board of Elections Director Tracy Reams, the Board of Commissioners needs to make a decision on or before Au ust 23 2011 regarding a possible November 8, 2011 one-quarter cent X114¢} county sales and use tax referendum in order to provide the necessary time to fully prepare for the November election. This timeframe allows for the coding and programming to include the referendum and appropriate time to print and receive ballots. The Board of Elections is required to have absentee ballots on site and ready to mail by September 19, 2011. Attachment 1 is a resolution for Board consideration calling for a special advisory referendum on the November 8, 2011 ballot on the question of whether to levy the Article 46 one-quarter percent county sales and use tax in Grange County. As detailed in the resolution, the November 8, 2x11 ballot question would ask Grange County voters to vote for or against a local sales and use tax at the rate of ane-quarter cent in addition to all other state and local sales and use tax. It should be noted that the ballot question cannot include language regarding proposed uses of the funds from the one-quarter cent tax. A "sunset clause" can also not be included on the ballot question. Any action to subsequently sunset.an implemented sales and use tax would require additionallseparate Board action. A November 8, 2011 ballot question would appear as follows. [ ]FOR [ ]AGAINST County Sales and Use Tax Local sales and use tax at the rate of one-quarter percent X0.25°/Q} in addition to all other State and local sales and use taxes.