A bold plan to completely eliminate municipal property taxes in the City of Washington has been defeated.
The Washington City Council voted 3 to 1 Monday night to reject a resolution proposed by Councilman Joe Davis. The measure would have given city staff 45 days to outline an implementation plan to phase out all citywide property taxes over the next 24 months.
Opponents on the council expressed major concerns over how the city would fund essential public infrastructure and emergency operations without a steady stream of tax revenue.
A separate proposal by Davis to transfer municipal emergency medical services to Beaufort County was also voted down by the same 3 to 1 margin.
