LACIE SILVA
Editor
Mayor David Jackson reported to the Marion County Commissioners board important updates surrounding RFI’s, a conference he attended, and improvements of tourism figures.
Mayor Jackson began his report by discussing two recent requests for information (RFIs). The first project, called Thermostat, is seeking a 400,000-square-foot building, which would bring 100 jobs and a $4.7 million investment. The second, Project Condor, is considering over 65 acres for development, proposing 600 jobs and a massive $1.53 billion investment, which would impact the area known as the Poor Property. Mayor Jackson mentioned meeting with the project’s architect and the regional health department director.
He also noted that the city received $379,000 in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding to renovate the health department. The funds are being managed and distributed by Ernst & Young, and there are ongoing discussions about architectural plans. The contract with the architect has been received, and the goal is to begin the renovations as soon as possible.
Mayor Jackson attended a County Mayors Association conference in August, where discussions focused on potentially changing the property reappraisal cycle from the current 4-5-6 year system to a 2-3-4 year cycle. Although this is presented as not being a tax increase, Mayor Jackson expressed concerns that it would effectively result in higher taxes. He highlighted that, due to inflation, counties are struggling to manage budgets under current tax regulations. The County Mayors Association plans to address how counties can cope with inflationary pressures without needing to drastically cut budgets, and they’ll meet again soon.
Additionally, Mayor Jackson mentioned that the possibility of a 2% property tax increase is on the horizon. He warned that this limit could force the County Commission to raise taxes by 2% annually just to keep up with financial demands. He expressed concerns about how to cover significant costs, such as the $7 million needed to expand the county jail, if property taxes are frozen.
On a more positive note, the mayor shared the latest tourism figures for 2023, with Marion County ranking 34th in the state. Tourism revenue grew by 5.7%, totaling over $64 million. Lodging was up 6.8%, food and beverage sales increased by 7.1%, retail by 3.5%, recreation by 8.9%, transportation by 3.2%, and labor income rose by 6.9%. The number of tourism-related jobs increased by 1.8%, creating 446 jobs. State taxes collected in Marion County rose by $3.8 million, and local taxes by $2.4 million. This tourism revenue saves each household over $532 in property taxes.
Mayor Jackson also encouraged the commission to review the 4-H report included in their packages and reminded everyone that the next commission meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 28th. After answering a question about the status of the South Pittsburg Mountain water project, which is in the design phase, Mayor Jackson concluded his report.