Chamber Leaders Oppose Sales Tax Redistribution Plan
The Chamber’s Executive Committee opposes the sales tax redistribution plan that would reduce revenues over time to Carteret County and its municipalities.
Board Chair Dr. Kerry Youngblood and President Mike Wagoner signed a letter July 21 addressed to Senator Norman Sanderson and Representative Pat McElraft, which stated the Chamber’s position. Here is the abridged text of that correspondence:
“We are writing to reaffirm our strong opposition to the North Carolina budget bill proposal that would redistribute sales tax revenues, as advocated by Senator Harry Brown of Onslow County.
“The Chamber believes the current sales tax distribution method should remain intact.
“Within Carteret County, all municipalities and the county government would be penalized under the proposed sales tax redistribution formula, as it unfairly targets tourism destinations and urban centers of the state.
“The Carteret County Board of Commissioners joins with us in its belief that raising property taxes in our localities is an unacceptable alternative to recouping any reduction in sales tax revenues.
“We concur with Governor Pat McCrory’s comments to Senator Brown that the sales tax ‘is not a state tax; this is a local tax, and any forced change will result in a tax increase for millions of our citizens and businesses from the coast to the mountains.’
“We applaud and commend the Governor for his position that he ‘will not support any effort to redistribute sales tax dollars from one county to another.”