Northwoods tax measure seeks public vote to fund police equipment; sponsor estimates roughly $100,000 annual revenue

Representative Fountain Henderson introduced House Bill 3,277, a local-option tax intended to appear on Northwoods’ ballot to raise funds for police equipment and other public-safety needs.

Henderson explained Northwoods has about 3,623 residents and that local leaders — including Mayor Sharon Pace and Errol Bush — asked her to file the bill. “This is a safety bill… it’s for public safety, for public safety equipment,” Henderson said.

Members sought specifics on the projected revenue and how improvements would be defined and monitored. Henderson said preliminary estimates discussed with Northwoods officials put potential revenue at about $100,000 annually and said the funds would be used for updated equipment and related public-safety upgrades. She said town halls had been held in the city and the proposal would be decided by voters.

Committee members praised the local-control approach and noted the North Oaks Plaza shopping center as an anchor in the community; no witnesses opposed the bill at the public hearing and no informational testimony was offered.

The hearing closed without a committee vote recorded in the public-record portion of the transcript; Representative Fountain Henderson’s bill was later rolled into a larger substitute and package considered in executive session.