Lincoln County commissioners this week backed away from calling a special election to be held on June 8 to ask voters to approve a new ¾ cent sales tax for county public safety purposes.
During a special meeting Monday, commissioners took no action to form an Ambulance Board or Emergency Service Board or to adopt a resolution for the election for the new tax to fund an ambulance service and construction of a new county jail.
They spent more than an hour and half discussing the issues with officials from several cities and towns and others, among them lawyers who have been advising them about the election.
City managers and administrators from at least Chandler, Prague, Wellston and Stroud aired concerns about the issues during Monday’s meeting.
After the lengthy discussion, and seeing there would be little support for a ¾ cent sales tax, Commission Chairman Lee Doolen said, “We have a lot to think about. Sounds like we need to set up a 522 countywide ambulance district and we can’t do that today.”
That will take a vote of the people as well.
District 2 Commissioner Marlon Miller said, “The sales tax is not the way to go. It’s going to hurt our cities and it might jeopardize the one cent county sales tax we can’t live without.”
Miller also noted, referring to the ambulance issue, “It’s a statewide problem but not statewide equal.” He suggested adding extra money on car tags people now pay, but that would have to come from the State Legislature.
“Let’s look long term,” he said.
Doolen said, “there’s got to be an answer here somewhere.”
District 1 Commissioner Carl Munson asked the city officials what were their thoughts on a solution.
One indicated the solution is from the state, referring to the ambulance issue.
Though opposition to the sales tax idea of funding a countywide ambulance seemed to consume much of the discussion, Doolen reminded everyone attending or listening “that the jail is a major deal whether we like it or not. It’s going to cost $12 million to construct a new jail.
“If we take the ambulance out of it, what does that drop us down to sales-tax wise”?
It was pointed out if both the jail and the ambulance were submitted to voters as an ad valorem bond election, it will require two separate questions.
Sheriff Charlie Dougherty indicated he was good with either way it was decided.
Miller noted, “It appears everyone is pretty much in agreement we need to split ‘em and place them both as an ad valorem tax bond election.”
Doolen emphasized, “For the jail as an ad valorem issue, we need numbers before we can do anything. What’s looming over our heads we have to fix.”
He added, “For our next meeting we need information on setting up a 522 district for the ambulance and what we need to do about funding a new jail.”
The commissioners will hold their regular meeting at 9 a.m. next Monday, April 5, in their conference room in the county courthouse.