An abbreviated post-holiday agenda greeted the Highland County Board of Commissioners Wednesday, with commissioner Terry Britton saying that partial preliminary sales tax figures on automotive and boat sales for April showed a 24 percent decrease from last year, which in real dollars translated out to $32,000 “in a partial snapshot.”
“Even though it is down from last year for April, it isn’t as bad as we anticipated,” Britton said. “Hopefully, we can get through this without too many scars.”
However, despite the loss of revenue caused by the state mandated business closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, commission president Jeff Duncan said overall, tax numbers were “off the top of my head” about $177,000 ahead of last year.
He said in comparison with other counties, Highland County was faring well so far, with Britton adding that some counties were witnessing sales tax revenue reductions of 50 to 65 percent.
“If our governor hadn’t shut our economy down, it would be interesting to see where we would be this year, if things had been kept open and kept on such a good track,” commissioner Gary Abernathy noted.
In other business, one resolution authorizing Highland County Engineer Chris Fauber to purchase a 2020 Vermeer BC-1500 Brush Chipper was approved.
The commissioners also moved to accept on the recommendation of Fauber the bid from Modern Office Methods, Inc. of $315.07 for the upgrade purchase of a new plotter/printer for the Highland County Tax Map office.
Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.
