Voting History of the Jefferson County Commission
This section provides transparency about how Commissioners voted on the Mineral Severance Tax during the April 21, 2025 vote on Resolution 2025‑23.
6. Commissioners Who Voted YES (Supported the Mineral Tax)
These Commissioners voted to adopt the Mineral Severance Tax:
- Janet Norton
- Austin Brooks
- Jim Snodgrass
- Rob Blevins
- Ransom Douglas
- Marcus Reed
Quote: “These Commissioners voted to ensure mining companies contribute to the road damage they create and to reduce the burden on property taxpayers. This mineral severance tax also provides compensation for the severed assets — once mined, these resources are gone forever; they do not regenerate.”
7. Commissioners Who Voted NO (Opposed the Mineral Tax)
A mineral tax is a fair, widely used alternative — so the Commission’s repeated NO votes seem irrational, self‑serving, and deserve scrutiny.
These Commissioners voted against adopting the Mineral Severance Tax:
- Katy Huffaker
- Jimmy Dale Patterson
- Greg Byrd
- John Johnson
- Tim Seals
- Sammy Solomon
- Randy Bales
- Aaron Loy
- Ronny Coleman
- Terry Dockery
- Jimmy Carmichael
- Heidi Thomas
Quote: “Against: Huffaker, Patterson, Byrd, Johnson, Seals, Solomon, Bales, Loy, R. Coleman, Dockery, Carmichael, Thomas.”
Added sentence: By voting NO, these Commissioners shifted the costs created by mining companies onto citizens — resulting in higher property taxes for homeowners and families.
