The Russell County Fiscal Court took the first step in moving forward with an increase in the county’s occupational tax at Monday night’s meeting.
Magistrate Steve Richardson made the motion, which was unanimously approved by the court, to increase the property tax from three-quarters of a percent to one percent. The tax was at one percent when implemented in 2012.
The motion also included language to increase the cap on the tax to $4,000 and eliminate the sunset clause.
This was just the first step in the process of increasing the occupational tax, as this action gives County Attorney Kevin Shearer the authority to revise the existing occupational tax ordinance, which would then have to go through a first and second reading from the court.
The current occupational tax sunsets in April.
