County-town miscommunication causes problem

Although Madison County and the town of Madison have co-existed for more than 200 years, a lack of communication between the two entities continues to raise concerns.

County officials’ recent move to do away with its motor vehicle decal fee and other related tax bill changes has left town residents concerned about being “double taxed.“ 

For years, both the county and the town have each separately billed residents for car decals. Although a few years ago the county incorrectly billed some town residents for a county car decal, officials eventually eliminated these double-mailings, excluding town residents from the list of those required to purchase a county sticker.

Earlier this year, the Madison County Board of Supervisors eliminated its motor vehicle fees and increased its 2009 personal property tax rate for personal use motor vehicles (including automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, trailers or semi-trailers, campers and other recreational vehicles) by five percent. The tax increase was approved to make up for some of the income lost from the county’s move to do away with its motor vehicle decal fees as well as offset a 20 percent overall average decrease in the assessed values of county residents’ motor vehicles, Supervisors Chairman Eddie Dean has previously said.

Despite the county’s decision, town officials hadn’t made any plans to do away with their own $25 sticker. But some Madison residents and council members are concerned that if town residents aren’t somehow exempt from the county’s personal property tax rate increase they will be unfairly “double taxed.“

South Main Street resident Mayo Yowell initially raised the issue at the town council’s regular June 4 meeting, although town council members had briefly discussed what Mayor Willie Lamar and former council member Charles Carter said they both believe is “double taxation” at the council’s April meeting.
Town Clerk Barbara Roach told The Madison County Eagle that she spoke with a county treasurer’s office employee earlier this year about the issue but was not provided an answer as to whether the county plans to bill town residents’ personal property taxes differently than the rest of the county’s residents.

“We’ve not been able to get an answer to that. We hope to get that answered before we pass our budget,“ Lamar said at the meeting last week. The town’s current version of its proposed $181,000 budget for the coming fiscal year includes income town officials expect to receive from its own car decals, which residents are required to purchase as of April 1 every year. The town council is expected to vote on its budget at a special meeting set for 7 p.m. Thursday, June 25 in the town meeting room, which is next to the DMV office in the Peterson Building in downtown Madison.

Excluding the expense of producing the decals, the sticker fees bring in about $4,700 of income for the town, according to the mayor.

At the meeting, Carter - who resigned from the council in April - said he believed the town shouldn’t eliminate its decal fees because it needs the money, but suggested the council request that the county treasurer subtract $25 (the cost of the town decal) from all town residents’ personal property bills.
A call to Madison County Treasurer Stephanie Murray was not returned by press time.

In other matters at the Madison Town Council’s regular monthly June 4 meeting, the council:

• Listened to comments regarding the town’s draft 2009-2010 fiscal year budget, which totals $181,000. Residents suggested the council consider adding other items in its budget including money for the Madison Chamber of Commerce, complimentary garbage collection, reprinting newly released town visitor brochures and other services aimed at serving seniors. Council member Dan Painter - who was appointed to the council in mid-May to fill the vacancy left after former council member Charles Carter resigned in April - suggested the council look into alternate ways for the town to raise money without increasing taxes to provide these extra services. The town council is expected to vote on its budget at a special meeting set for 7 p.m. Thursday, June 25 in the town meeting room, which is next to the DMV office in the Peterson Building in downtown Madison.

• Received copies of a draft of the town’s comprehensive plan, which the planning commission has been revising for the past couple years. The council is expected to discuss the plan and set a date for a public hearing regarding the document at the special June 25 meeting.

• Reappointed Zane Byram and Ed Eddins to continue serving on the Madison Planning Commission. The council also appointed Painter to replace former council member Charles Carter’s position as the town council liaison on the town’s planning commission. Council member Alma Lu Ayers also suggested the council consider adding an additional member to the commission by appointing Barbara Konat, who resigned from the commission earlier this year.

• OK’d Ayers’ appointment to replace Carter’s spot as the council’s liaison on the Greater Madison Main Street Project committee.