Carroll County commissioners rescind levy-increase resolution after auditor flags tax impact

Carroll County commissioners voted Friday to rescind a resolution that would have placed a proposed levy increase for the Carroll County Home on the ballot after the county auditor said the plan would raise property taxes.

The special session, held June 5 at 10 a.m., ended with a voice vote carrying the motion to rescind Resolution 2026-22. Commissioners said they learned after the measure was presented that, contrary to how it had been described to the board, the change would add new property-tax burden for county residents.

Why it matters: The resolution would have asked voters to approve an adjustment within the county's millage framework to fund maintenance and operation of the Carroll County Home. Commissioners said they did not want to increase tax burdens for residents already at high tax levels and paused the ballot placement to seek alternatives.

During discussion the board noted preliminary figures supplied by the auditor showing that a 1.4-mill renewal generates roughly $1.4 million to $1.5 million a year and that adding 0.5 mill would generate about $834,000 that would be new property-tax revenue. Auditor Stacy Brady, who participated remotely and who the board said they had asked to prepare a breakdown, said the renewal-plus-increase scenario could produce less revenue than a replacement option would have produced.

"With the option for a replacement no longer being an option, . . . by doing a renewal plus increase it was actually going to generate less revenue than if they did a replacement," Brady said, adding she had sent estimates the night before and that staff would "get it figured out." (Brady spoke at the June 5 meeting.)

Rather than proceed to ballot placement, the board voted to rescind the prior motion and resolution and asked staff to form a work group including the Carroll County Home board and county staff to examine ways to raise revenue or reduce costs and then return with recommendations. Commissioners noted there is time to rework the proposal: the renewal of the 1.4 mills must be filed by August to appear on the ballot.

The motion to rescind was made during the special session and seconded; the chair put the question by voice and announced, "Motion carried to resend resolution 2026-22." A roll-call vote was not required for the rescission, the board said. With no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

What happens next: Staff and the work group are expected to review alternatives and present options to the board before any new proposal is filed with the elections office. The board did not set a public date for a follow-up meeting during this session.