Vance County Board of Education member Robert Duke spoke to the Vance County Board of Commissioners Monday night regarding Vance County’s tax rate.
According to Duke, Vance County has the third-highest tax rate in the state. He called the tax rate “uncalled for”. He claimed that a disproportionate amount of Vance County tax goes to support the Department of Social Services.
“For too long we have allowed surrounding counties and states to use Vance County as a dumping ground for their excess DSS dependants,” Duke said.
According to Duke, these dependants make up 32% of the Vance County population. He stated that it was unfair that they are supported by the other 68%. He further informed commissioners that in the school system, most of the discipline problems and drop-outs come from this 32% of the population. He also stated that most of the low-scoring students come from this population. He added that EC (Exceptional Children) and special needs children come from this segment of the population.
EC and special needs students typically cost significantly more to be provided with services.
He further argued that most of the teacher turnover was caused by problems created by the group of students from the 32% demographic.
Teacher retention is a significant problem in Vance County and in North Carolina.
Duke also claimed that most teenage/unwed pregnancies come from this 32% of the population. He also informed commissioners that most law enforcement calls respond to this part of the population of Vance County. He further stated that most of the court docket is composed of cases from this segment of Vance County residents.
He also claimed that most bad debts are from this 32% of the population. He told commisioners that most of the debts that they would write off during the meeting would come from this segment of the population.
“The reason we do not have decent economic development is not because we do not have zoning,” Duke asserted, “it is because we have the third-highest tax rate in the state.”
Duke compared those who receive DSS services to “swarms of locusts” decending on a farmer’s crops, leaving nothing to survive on. He also compared the 32% group he identified as “parasites” leaving “little or nothing for expansion programs”.
Because of the five minute time limit imposed on public presentations, Duke did not have sufficient time to pose to the board all of his solutions. He did, however, suggest that a county-wide mimimum-housing code be passed and enforced. He also proposed that a ban on subsidized housing be enacted.
Duke also suggested that an impact fee of $3,000 to $5,000 be assessed on housing converted to rental status.
Duke asserted that most of the 32% live in substandard housing owned by “slumlords” who “find profit in poverty”.
“This trend must stop,” Duke said.
Duke then skipped to his third problem, that of unpaid taxes in the county, some by elected officials. He stated that if taxes are unpaid in the county for three years that they should be turned over to a collection agency. If not paid in four years, Duke suggested, foreclosure should be started in the fifth year.
Duke suggested that if those who manage the county would not make changes, then the voters should make changes in who manages the county, indicating day after the meeting, election day.
County Commissioner Terry Garrison asked Duke his views on what the contributing factors of the high rate of poverty have been in Vance County.
Duke responded that losing manufacturing jobs was one factor. He also stated that Vance County has endorsed every subsidized housing program that has come along. He told Garrison that the county has invited people from outside the county to fill up the housing.
Garrison responded by asking Duke if he was aware that Vance County has had more than its share of the working poor for 50 to 75 years compared to other counties in the state.
Duke responded that most of the problems in Vance County were brought on “by ourself”.
Garrison called the 2003-2005 unemployment figures in Vance County a “horrendous situation”.
Duke answered that business would not come to Vance County when it could go to Granville County and save 20 cents on the tax rate.
Garrison asked Duke if the county were to not provide social services, would there be more or less problems in the schools. He further clarified the question to ask what kind of problems the school would have.
Duke responded that the population would go to counties that could better afford them.
County Commisioner Danny Wright asserted that the claim that Vance County has the 3rd highest tax rate was not actually the case. He said the number was inflated due to where the county was in its revaluation cycle.
County Commision Chairman Tim Pegram cut off the discussion at that point, reminding the board that it does not usually get into open remarks during the public comment portion of the meeting.