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February 11, 2009

Council drops local property tax

By Trent Moore

Staff Writer

DODGE CITY — Living in Dodge City is about to get a little cheaper for property owners.

The Dodge City town council has voted to rescind local property taxes within the town, beginning with the next official billing cycle.

Council chairperson Tawana Canada said the decision was made both to attract new businesses to the area, as well as help the local residents through the economic downturn.

“With the economy the way it is, we feel like the people could better use the money themselves,” she said. “We’re hoping this will also help us draw more business to the area down the line.”

The decision came too late to rescind the tax for 2009 — since the billing period is already underway — but beginning with the 2010 tax period, Dodge City residents will no longer have to pay municipal property taxes.

Dodge City resident Charles Hollis said the cut should be a big help to local landowners.

“I think this is great, as long as it’s saving people money,” he said. “Everyone is struggling, and if the town can do without the money I know the people can definitely use it.”

Scott Edmondson, owner of Dodge City business Lakeside Pharmacy, agrees that the decision will also make the area more appealing for business owners.

“I definitely think this is a good move,” he said. “With the growing downtown area and Smith Lake and the OHV park near-by, there’s a lot of potential for local development ... I think Dodge City has a ton of potential.”

By rescinding the tax, the town stands to lose approximately $25,000 in income per year.

Edmondson said his only concern with the cut is that the lost revenue could lead the town to stop paying for a local Cullman County Sheriff’s Office deputy to patrol the area. The agreement for the deputy currently costs the town approximately $37,564 per year.

“As long as proper funding is still available for the sheriff’s deputy, I’m all for this,” Edmondson said.

Canada said the town’s coffers should be able to withstand the projected loss, since a fair amount of income is generated by local businesses such as the Dodge House Restaurant, two local banks and a handful of other establishments. The benefit of hopefully attracting more businesses to the area in the future should also help offset the shortfall, Canada said.

“We feel like we can more than meet the budget, even without the property tax income,” she said. “Dodge City’s finances are pretty stable right now.”

Beginning with the 2010 property tax cut, Canada said the council hopes to continue rescinding the tax for years to come.

“We want to do this indefinitely,” she said.

In other business, the council:

‰ Bought a $1,495 defibrillator to be kept in the local Cullman County Sheriff’s Office deputy’s patrol car. Canada said the decision was a preemptive safety decision. “We decided to get a few out in the community,” she said. “Before long, we’ll look at putting one into the town hall, as well.”



‰ Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 225.

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