KINGWOOD — Preston County commissioners endorse elimination of the business and inventory tax, as long as the legislature finds something to replace it in the budgets of counties and boards of education.
“In discussions [during] our visits in Charleston, they have assured us — the governor did, eye to eye — and the senate members did, and our legislators, we made it clear that we need to remain ‘whole,’ ” Commissioner Dave Price said.
“If they’re going to take one tax revenue away, they need to make it up some other way,” Price said.
“Everybody agrees it’s a horrible tax. They just don’t know how to get rid of it and make up for losses,” Commissioner Don Smith said.
The resolution, which passed unanimously Tuesday, says the commission, “takes the position that the removal of the business and inventory tax by the West Virginia Legislature, without feasible and adequate funding alternatives to compense the loss of the public funds needed by Preston County … forces the hardworking citizens of Preston County to pay increased property and other taxes.”
Preston could lose from $300,000 to $1 million per year if the business and inventory tax ends, depending on what all is eliminated from the tax, Preston Administrator Kathy Mace said. That is still in discussions in Charleston.
The Preston Commission’s 2019-20 budget totals $8,806,738, which is $221,165 less than the prior fiscal year.
A consumer sales tax, one of the alternatives under consideration, would work better for some counties, commissioners said. But, “some counties are going to have nothing left,” Smith said.
Preston supports job creation statewide, the resolution says. Price said he hopes companies develop all over the state and particularly in Preston County as an offshoot of the gas cracker plant near the northern panhandle.
“And I think that this tax thing that they’re working on is going to help attract those companies to locate here,” Price said.
Mace said commissions statewide are concerned about alternate funding sources.
Also Tuesday, commissioners:
– Were asked by Michael Karr to ask Comcast and Atlantic Broadband to add WVUX to their channel lineups. It would be like when the county asked that WBOY and WDTV be added, he said. Mace said she will have a letter for commissioners to review next week before voting.
– Approved the Preston County Antique Tractor Association using county parking lots June 20.
TWEET @DominionPostWV
