Jason Ward, left, Matt Denton, Polk County; Manager Jeff Ellis and Mayor Steve Miller, Rockmart, were among local elected officials who met to discuss pros and cons of an excise tax on energy. (Agnes Hagin/thepolkfishwrap.com)
This decision came after the State Legislature passed HB-386, which eliminates sales tax being accessed on these industries and would result in a loss of revenue to governmental entities.
In the legislation, the State also provided the right for local governments to impose an excise tax to recover the lost revenues.
Therefore, officials gathered at Polk’s Administration Building to discuss options.
Attending the meeting were Commissioners Phillip Bentley, Jason Ward and Manager Matt Denton, Rockmart Mayor Steve Miller and Manager Jeff Ellis, Aragon Mayor Ken Suffridge and Cedartown Commission Chair Dale Tuck and Manager Bill Fann.
Estimated impact to 2013 budgets would be $42,000, 2014, $84,000, 2015, $126,000 and 2016 - forward, $168,000 per year.
Ellis asked the group to consider how this would affect each entity and countywide economic development.
“If you impose this tax, industrial developers will not visit you,” he said. “It will have a negative on economic development.”
He said, in his opinion, Rockmart would lose about $50,000.
“If we land one industry, we will get our money back,” he said. “We don’t need to over react because of another state mandate. The repercussions would be more detrimental than waiting to make a decision.”
Ward and Tuck had similar sentiments. Ward said Polk officials are not likely to take a vote but city representatives could make individual decisions.
Thereafter, the group agreed to take no action but wait a year to determine how HB-386 would affect other entities in Georgia.
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