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ELKINS -- Gov. Jim Justice will visit Elkins Tuesday to talk about Amendment 2 and his proposed car tax rebate plan.
The Randolph County Commission will host the forum at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the James F. Cain Courthouse Annex. The forum will run until 4 p.m. if needed, officials said. The public is encouraged to attend, as Justice will provide details on Amendment 2 and his car tax proposal, and answer any questions.
The governor has been making similar stops across the state urging voters to reject Amendment 2, a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot. The Property Tax Modernization Amendment would allow lawmakers to eliminate personal property taxes on machinery, inventory and vehicles.
Justice, a business owner himself, has said multiple times that even though his personal endeavors would benefit from the amendment, he still thinks it's a bad deal for the state.
If Amendment 2 passes, state lawmakers will gain control over property tax revenue that currently goes toward school systems, emergency services and municipalities.
Proponents of Amendment 2 have been hanging their hats on the fact that the property tax on vehicles would be eliminated with a yes vote. That prompted Justice this week to propose legislation that would do away with the "car tax."
"I said 'find us a way to ensure that Jim Justice will get rid of their car tax,'" Justice said during a virtual announcement Tuesday. "Today I am proposing legislation to get rid of the car tax immediately without amending our constitution. This means you can vote no on Amendment 2 and still get rid of your car tax."
Several local officials in Randolph County, including Randolph County Commissioner Chris Siler and Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco, have spoken out against the amendment, saying it's a bad deal for counties and municipalities.
"If this passes it's going to take all power away from the counties and give it to the state legislature," Siler said. "And they don't need to be running everything. It's going to be a mess. I'm just hoping the people can see that and will vote against it come November."