Hearing on sales tax tonight for Orange
Published: Tue, Aug. 19, 2008 12:30AM
Modified Tue, Aug. 19, 2008 02:46AM
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closeHILLSBOROUGH -- The Orange County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing tonight and could vote to hold a referendum Nov. 4 on a one-quarter cent additional sales tax in Orange County.
The sales tax is one of two options the state gave counties this year to raise additional revenue. The other was a land transfer tax, which voters soundly defeated in a referendum this spring.
The commissioners need to decide by Aug. 29 whether to put the referendum on the November ballot to meet a mailing deadline for absentee ballots.
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But Barry Jacobs, chairman of the Orange County Board of Commissioners, said the commissioners might decide to put off a referendum until spring.
"The way the economy's looking would give anybody pause, especially with new taxes," Jacobs said.
Jacobs said he also is concerned about the county imposing a new tax when Triangle governments are considering a future half-cent sales tax to help pay for rail, bus and road programs.
"There's just so many times you can ask the public to raise its own taxes," he said.
The meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. in the F. Gordon Battle Courtroom, 106 E. Margaret Lane, in Hillsborough.
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