Watauga County voters snapped a seven-referendum winning streak for supporters of local tax increases Tuesday by voting down, 62-38 percent, a quarter-cent sales tax hike.
County commissioners had pledged to use $1.9 million in revenue generated by the tax to build new recreational facilities, but voters wanted no part of it. At 17 percent, turnout was high for a referendum not held in conjunction with a primary or General Election. Many residents also took advantage of early voting.
“By soundly defeating the tax increase, taxpayers sent a loud and clear message to county commissioners: don’t spend our money like drunken sailors. Spend our money more wisely and efficiently,” said Michael Sanera, the John Locke Foundation’s vice president for research and local government analyst.
Representatives of the N.C. Association of County Commissioners, a taxpayer-funded group that spearheads efforts to get the tax hikes on local ballots, could not be reached for comment on the Watauga vote Tuesday morning. But in an e-mail to Carolina Journal, association executive director David Thompson reiterated his group’s support for the local taxes.
“The association will continue to work with counties and the Legislature to secure revenue options outside of property taxes for counties to fund essentially services such as law enforcement, school facilities, emergency response and social welfare, and non-essential services that benefit county citizens, such as libraries,” he said.
Backers of the sales tax hike, and a similar 0.4 percent land-transfer tax, had a string of seven victories leading up to the Watauga County vote. Nine more sales tax referendums are schedule for this year, all on the Nov. 4 General Election ballot.
David N. Bass is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.