At least not tonight.
The council adjourned at 1:30 a.m. without agreeing to put any taxes on the March ballot. They may come back in two weeks and try again, but at the moment it's not clear that the outcome would be any different.
Many people spoke, but few stayed until the bitter end. For them, and for anyone else who may be interested, here are the votes:
1. Councilman Elito Santarina moved to put all three taxes -- utility tax, ticket tax and warehouse tax -- on the March ballot. Councilwoman Lula Davis-Holmes seconded, but said she wouldn't support a utility tax. The motion failed 1-3-1. Santarina was the only vote in favor; Davis-Holmes, Mayor Jim Dear and Councilman Harold Williams were opposed; and Councilman Mike Gipson abstained. Because it called for a general tax, the motion needed four votes to pass.
2. Davis-Holmes moved to put just the ticket tax and the warehouse tax on the March ballot. Santarina seconded. Gipson said he was concerned that a warehouse tax would result in lost jobs, and made a request for a delay so that an economic impact report could be prepared. The motion failed 2-3, with only Davis-Holmes and Santarina in favor. Like the first motion, it would have required four votes to pass.
3. Santarina moved to put just the utility tax on the ballot, with exceptions for seniors, the disabled, low-income residents and veterans. Gipson seconded. Dear suggested shortening the sunset period from 10 years to five, creating the brief impression that he might back off his staunch opposition to a utility tax, and it might actually get on the ballot. But no. The motion failed 2-3, with only Gipson and Santarina in favor. Once again, it would have taken four votes to pass. At that point, everyone gave up and went home.
It bears mentioning that Gipson, Dear and Williams are running for reelection. Santarina has pulled papers to run for mayor against Dear. By voting for a utility tax, which is not a popular idea in town, Santarina and Gipson just handed their opponents some ammunition.
The council adjourned at 1:30 a.m. without agreeing to put any taxes on the March ballot. They may come back in two weeks and try again, but at the moment it's not clear that the outcome would be any different.
Many people spoke, but few stayed until the bitter end. For them, and for anyone else who may be interested, here are the votes:
1. Councilman Elito Santarina moved to put all three taxes -- utility tax, ticket tax and warehouse tax -- on the March ballot. Councilwoman Lula Davis-Holmes seconded, but said she wouldn't support a utility tax. The motion failed 1-3-1. Santarina was the only vote in favor; Davis-Holmes, Mayor Jim Dear and Councilman Harold Williams were opposed; and Councilman Mike Gipson abstained. Because it called for a general tax, the motion needed four votes to pass.
2. Davis-Holmes moved to put just the ticket tax and the warehouse tax on the March ballot. Santarina seconded. Gipson said he was concerned that a warehouse tax would result in lost jobs, and made a request for a delay so that an economic impact report could be prepared. The motion failed 2-3, with only Davis-Holmes and Santarina in favor. Like the first motion, it would have required four votes to pass.
3. Santarina moved to put just the utility tax on the ballot, with exceptions for seniors, the disabled, low-income residents and veterans. Gipson seconded. Dear suggested shortening the sunset period from 10 years to five, creating the brief impression that he might back off his staunch opposition to a utility tax, and it might actually get on the ballot. But no. The motion failed 2-3, with only Gipson and Santarina in favor. Once again, it would have taken four votes to pass. At that point, everyone gave up and went home.
It bears mentioning that Gipson, Dear and Williams are running for reelection. Santarina has pulled papers to run for mayor against Dear. By voting for a utility tax, which is not a popular idea in town, Santarina and Gipson just handed their opponents some ammunition.
Santarina moved to put just the utility tax on the ballot, with exceptions for seniors, the disabled, low-income residents and veterans. Gipson seconded.
If you are going to except these people then they should not be allowed to vote on these Tax Increases!! That manipulates the vote in favor of passing the Tax Increase. It is not fair or just to the tax paying people.