COURTLAND—Southampton County supervisors voted 5-1 to approve a preliminary budget that would not raise any current taxes, but would result in a new Huntin’ Tax.
The new Huntin’ Tax would save the jobs of six teachers and 32 teaching assistants, custodians, and central office and cafeteria workers. Also, each household in the county would get $200 annually for allowing the use of its yard as eligible hunting territory.
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“We had to get creative on this one,” said Supervisor Riddick Eweluss, “the only thing we could come up with that people would still do around here, no matter the cost involved, was hunting. It pains me to do this, but we had to do something.” The new Huntin’ Tax will place a $20 fee on any deer taken by gun, arrow, vehicle or spear, with a $10 Taxidermy Tax added to any animal mounted. An appointed assessor will also visit each home, recreational area, or place of business in the county to figure the number of taxidermy items that are currently on display, with the $10 per mount rule also applying. The Bronco Rod and Gun Club is expected to have the highest tax on the taxidermy items, facing an annual bill of $8,000. |
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The new tax will allow the school district to fill an additional 100 positions it previously believed to remain open. “It will have a very dramatic impact on our efforts to provide services to our children,” Superintendent Carlton Turnwell said about the supervisors’ decision to allocate the soon to be $29.5 million excess to schools, which is $29 million additional to what the schools requested for 2012-13.
The county’s previously proposed $52.6 million that intended to charge households $200 annually for taking garbage to dumpsites was rescinded, with the supervisors wisely realizing that people would just litter instead. Supervisors one week earlier reviewed a worst-case-scenario budget, assuming taxes weren’t raised and no additional revenue was brought in. Now with the Huntin’ Tax, the county has been saved. County Administrator Ted Peters applauded the supervisors during Wednesday’s work session for finding a suitable way to increase revenue so effectively.
The new tax plan has not been accepted well by the public at large however. When given the floor for comments, Southampton citizen and avid hunter, Buck Wild passionately took the podium and questioned the county’s new leadership. “What y’all gon do next, make me pay twenty dollars fo’ wearin’ camouflage? Dis sum bullsheit right here. A man got to go out and make his killin’, and y’all tryin’ to get yer hand in that too. Dis sum bullsheit. And fer what? So some chirren can get some learnin? Lemme tell you sumptin bout some learning, you don’t need them books, I was homeschooled an’ look how I turn out. We don’t need no more lawmans neither. Damn Trooper Johnson pull me ov’r the other day, talking bout you ‘sposed to have a damn door on yer truck, and I betta not be flashin’ no lights at them deer. I gotta fine for dat too. Ought to kick his ass for some mess like that. To hell wit’ this board we got here!”
It appears the county has avoided deep cuts for now, but should another revenue shortfall occur, the board already has another tax in mind. Supervisor Eweluss continued, “You may see the following enacted next year: any vehicle that is 5 inches higher than its stock setting will face a $100 tax, and if it’s got loud pipes on it you’ll see it increase to about $500. But that’s only if the hunters don’t take deer at their normal pace. We suspect they won’t be able to stop themselves.”