Mayor Andy Ogles vetoes Maury property tax hike, county and school budgets in uncommon move

Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles vetoed on Friday the county commission's June vote, approving a 31-cent property tax increase and its general budget that also includes the county school district's operational budget.

In addition, the mayor says he refuses to sign the county budget, which provides funding to the Maury County Library due to offering "woke" reading material. Check back with The Daily Herald for more on the story.

More: Library director responds to Ogles' veto of library funding due to Pride Month book display

Ogles, who said he is first an economist by training, has been "watching recessionary pressures" mount across the nation and wants to halt planned capital projects across the county and schools to save on costs and rising county debt.

"I think the building projects should be postponed until we know how bad the recession is going to be," Ogles said to The Daily Herald on Friday.

Ogles sent a letter to Maury County Commission Chairman Don Morrow July 8, outlining his concerns.

"I would ask that the County Commission to revisit the current budget and postpone building projects until such a time the ‘next’ county commission can fully measure the state of the economy and the impact a recession, whether mild or great, will have on our local economy, our citizens and revenues relative to indebtedness," Ogles writes.

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Some capital projects in question include school renovations, a new clerk center location, the renovation of The Daily Herald building as a court annex and others.

Morrow said simply, "I am concerned."

"I don't speak for the commission," he said. "But we have not seen Mayor Ogles in the chamber with us during the budget process this year, and at the last minute, this vetoes the efforts of a hard-working budget committee. We have not seen him."

Morrow said the commission has had to face a growing county.

"It’s a simple fact, we have come at a crossroads with growth and to make sure the county budget is balanced, that's what we did [passed a property tax increase]."

As it now stands, Maury County's full operating budget hangs in limbo as commissioners ponder the next course of action. According to state code, the commission has the option of overturning the mayor's veto through a majority vote. The county commission will most likely consider the option at its next meeting this month.

Ogles explained he has spent a great deal of time reviewing the budget in context of the "greater economic factors that are occurring in United States from record fuel prices, inverted yield curve, collapse in commodities such as copper, and record low consumer sentiment just to name a few."

"Some analysts are speculating that the impending recession could be worse than 2008," Ogles said in the letter.

Response to questions about attendance

In response to his non-attendance at some county governmental meetings throughout the year, Ogles, who attended two funerals on Friday, said family sickness plays a role as well as how duties of mayor are defined.

“First and foremost, I don't have a vote on those committees and my attendance is not required," Ogles said. "We have had a great deal of sickness in our family, while balancing family and mayor. The great thing is that I can watch these meetings afterwards from my computer at home."

The Maury County Commission has contemplated the need for a property tax increase for years as the county jockeys its position as the fastest-growing county in the state, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.

Over 14,000 homes are planned to be constructed over the next several years, while at least three new schools are also needed, according to school officials.

Meanwhile, the nation is faced with a growing price tag on fuel costs and a supply-chain lag that slows current construction projects throughout the county and state.

The approved increase takes the property tax rate to $1.91 per $100 of assessed value on residential properties. For example, taxes on a $400,000 home would increase about 84-cents per day, $25.50 per month or $306 per year.

During the June 30 county commission meeting, the property tax increase proposal failed a few times, not garnering a majority vote as various amendments were proposed by commissioners. The increase finally passed, 12-6, after a three hour-plus discussion.

If Ogles' veto is approved by the majority of the commission, Morrow said the county needs a strong backup plan.

"If the veto were to pass, then I think the commission would like to see any plans Mayor Ogles has to move Maury County forward and help this process," Morrow said.

Michael Fulbright, Maury County Public Schools Chairman of the Board, said he is "extremely disappointed" in the mayor's decision.

"A lot of people in the schools and the county were actively involved in devising the budget and put a lot of time and focus into it. I am disappointed this is the outcome," Fulbright said.

"It puts us back to square one. It puts a lot of question marks in the air at this point."

Additional school capital uncertain

An upcoming school capital request also hangs in the balance.

Next week, the county commission is scheduled to consider a $50 million capital request by the school board to fund land for an elementary school, additional costs to build the $70 million-plus Battle Creek High School in Spring Hill and other school renovations.

The $70 million for the new high school was already funded last year, but rising construction costs, could up the price tag.

"We will have to see what the county commission does," Fulbright said. "We have already approved our budget, and the county commission has approved our budget. The county mayor has decided to veto all of this."

"It's the capital projects not the school budget itself," Ogles said. "Let's wait on things that are not absolutely necessary. Let's wait a year or two and look at the economy and revenues."

Maury County has not experienced a property tax increase since 2016.

The mayor's letter in full reads as follows:

Chairman Morrow,

I have spent a great deal of time reviewing the budget in context of the greater economic factors that are occurring in United States from record fuel prices, inverted yield curve, collapse in commodities such as copper, and record low consumer sentiment just to name a few; some analysts are speculating that the impending recession could be worse than 2008. I would ask that the County Commission to revisit the current budget and postpone building projects until such a time the ‘next’ county commission can fully measure the state of the economy and the impact a recession, whether mild or great, will have on our local economy, our citizens and revenues relative to indebtedness.

Furthermore, in June of this year the County Library went full woke exposing children to age inappropriate material. 

Though the library is not run by the Mayor’s office nor run by the County but rather an independent board of directors, there are County taxpayer dollars used to fund the library. The library should be a place of learning and not a place of woke indoctrination.  I will not sign a budget that includes funding for the Library until such a time measures are taken to insure this type of incident will never happen again and our children are protected from inappropriate material.

Therefore, I Mayor Andy Ogles due invoke TCA Code 5-6-107 and veto Resolution NO. 06-22-15S2 pertaining to the property tax increase and Resolution NO. 06-22-17S2 pertaining to the County Budget.  The aforementioned vetoed resolutions will be delivered to the County Clerk’s office this 8th day of July, 2022.

Respectfully,

Andy Ogles

Maury County Mayor

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles vetoes property tax increase