The Jones County Commissioners lowered the tax rate by two cents in the 2021-2022 Jones County budget. The budget included a county-wide cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase of 2.5%. Jones County Commissioners were excluded from the first COLA increase in at least four years. Jones County Commissioner April Aycock felt as if the pandemic opened a lot of eyes with health care in Jones County. “We are extremely limited with our medical services in the county,” said Aycock. “So by the health department being expanded to five days a week, it provides more accessibility to our county.”