Council responds to property tax increase opponents
By Debbie Lowe

Opponents to the proposed county-levied property tax increase visited the Carroll County Council meeting Thursday morning to address concerns with the county leaders.

Tom VanSickle asserted there was no organized group mobilized to stop the proposed increase to .0233 per $100 assessed valuation. However he said he secured more than 50 signatures on a petition against the county-instituted increase.

"We as property owners don't want our taxes to go up," he said speaking on behalf of his wife and himself. "This is a big learning process for us."

The expressed purpose to reestablish the cumulative capital improvement fund is to accumulate the money needed to address jail facility issues, by either building a new jail or renovating the current one.

"We're trying to do the right thing," council president Rob Baker said. "We're going to spend some money, that's the bottom line. Somebody's not just going to walk into Carroll County and say here's the money."

Council member John Blackburn shared with VanSickle the state's concerns about the condition of the jail facility contained in a written report.

"I think we're opening our door for a lawsuit," council member Carl Abbott said. "How else are we going to fund this?"

"There are only so many options allowed by the state for us to pay for things," council member Jerry Hendress continued. "I guarantee you, we'll look at other ways to pay for this."

Other business

Council members unanimously voted to recommend to commissioners a denial of professional insurance claims for Carroll Superior Court Judge Jeffery Smith and Circuit Court Judge Don Currie.

Currie advised council members the county provided judges professional liability insurance for approximately the past 10 years.

"None of the surrounding counties provide this," explained council member Ann Brown to the judges and council members.

She said judges are covered by the current county policy. Additionally, both judges are state employees and have coverage as such she said.

The following transfers were unanimously approved:

+ Custodians $6,000 from equipment repair to air conditioning/ furnace;

+ Commissioners $6,000 from costs of keeping juveniles to examination of records; and

+ Highway $16.50 from drainage and assessments to current charges/licenses.

Reassessment was granted a re-appropriation of $7,000 for postage.

No future meeting date was set before adjournment.