Madison County option income tax increase gets final approval

brandi.watters@heraldbulletin.com

ANDERSON, Ind. - The Madison County Council cast the deciding vote to increase the county option income tax, or COIT, in a heated meeting Monday night.

Both the Anderson and Alexandria city councils previously approved a motion to increase the COIT, and the measure needed only the support of the county council to pass.

On Monday, that support came from Madison County Council members Bill Savage, Larry Higgins, Buddy Patterson and John Bostic.

Council members Larry Crenshaw, Mike Phipps and Gary Gustin voted against the increase.

All three council members said they felt more cuts could have been made to the county budget before considering the tax increase.

The COIT will now increase from 1.25 percent to 1.75 percent.

Anderson City Controller Karen Carpenter said the tax increase will cost someone earning $40,000 an additional $200 a year.

Before the votes were cast, the County Council held a public hearing that led to cheers, jeers and occasional police intervention.

Refusing to adhere to the 2-minute time limit on public comments, former mayoral and state representative candidate Rob Jozwiak was asked to leave the podium numerous times, requiring an Anderson police officer to escort him from the speaking post.

Jozwiak returned to the podium numerous times with the officer standing close by.

He said the 2-minute time limit is used by the council to shut down dialogue.

"You're a thief and a liar if you vote for this," Jozwiak warned council members.

After a member of the audience put his hand on Jozwiak's chest when he shouted at Anderson Mayor Kris Ockomon, Jozwiak said he was being threatened by the Anderson fire and police departments.

At the close of the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the meeting as the crowd said "and justice for all," citizen Raymond Goodson called out "and excessive taxes."

The audience, made up of area firefighters and their families mixed with those opposed to the tax took turns addressing the council before the vote.

Anderson Fire Chief Dave Clendenen said a failure to pass the COIT would have resulted in the loss of at least 17 Anderson firefighters.

"I'm sick of government," Goodson said during one of his visits to the podium. "I'm fed up with all the belly-achin' firefighters and belly-achin' policemen. The government needs to live within its means."

Clendenen responded by noting that the fire department has already made cuts to its budget. "We're asking the citizens of Anderson for $4 a month."

The Fire Department has increased user fees bringing an additional $900,000 to the city's general fund and also cut $1.2 million from its budget, Clendenen said.

In response to Goodson, Clendenen said, "Nobody likes the belly-achin' firefighters and police until you need us."

Greg Noland, chairman of the Libertarian Party of Madison County, said the tax would not benefit economic development. "If we're really interested in jobs in this community, we need to keep our taxes as low as we can."

Others criticized city and county officials for failing to make appropriate budget cuts. Ockomon said all city department heads have taken 3 percent pay cuts.

Higgins said all elected county officials have taken a 4 percent pay cut. Many county department supervisors volunteered pay cuts during a recent County Council meeting.

The county had already cut $2.7 million from its budget, about $1 million shy of the $3.8 million deficit it's facing.

The County Council voted last week to eliminate 25 jobs.

Ockomon said the city has already cut over $4 million from its budget and more layoffs will be announced today.

The city will receive $2.1 million from the COIT increase specifically for public safety, paying the wages of firefighters and police officers.

The county will receive $2.3 million for the same expenditure.

Area governments are facing budget deficits caused by property tax caps.

Patterson, who said he typically does not vote in favor of tax increases, said this vote was not like many others due to the dire situation government budgets are in. "We've never faced anything in Madison County like we're facing now. I'm voting for jobs."