Lincoln County voters will head to the polls in a couple of weeks to decide a sales tax proposition and those in the Chandler School District have a bond issue as well.
The election is scheduled for Feb. 14.
The sales tax proposition is renewal of the current one cent county sales tax for another five years. There’s no increase in taxes, it’s just maintaining what is in place now.
The school bond issue has a slight, three percent bump in taxes.
As School Supt. Scott Baade noted, if a person is paying $1,000 in taxes now, it will increase to $1,030 next year. That’s about $2.69 a month.
If voters approve the $3,880,000 Chandler School bond issue, it will fund four needed projects the board members chose to include in the proposal to submit to the voters. These are a Media Center/Library for East Side Elementary School; a track field house/public restrooms/ concession stand; Classroom cameras with microphones; and an Ag truck.
Baade said the bond, if approved, would pay off in five years.
A current bond issue will roll off the tax rolls on June 30 this year.
Baade explained the reasoning behind the board’s decision to submit a bond issue at this time to school patrons. One was for the district to stay bonded, another was pricing, along with the uncertainty of the supply chain and rising interest rates.
Those were the reasons the board pared down the bond issue from a much larger list. It’s hoped a more stable economy can be reached by the time it’s needed for another bond proposal.
Something else that makes a lot sense is the issue is considered a current needs list. Engineers and architects will come in later, too, as long range plan is developed.
If the one cent county sales is renewed for another five years, it will take effect Jan. 1, 2024.
We support both of these propositions and strongly believe they deserve the support of the voters.
According to figures provided by Lincoln County Treasurer Brenda Jackson, in the last five years the sales tax has brought in $13,052,111 to county coffers.
This has been vital and essential to county government operations. That amount has been divided nine ways. That includes roads and bridges, the jail, Extension Center, Senior Citizens, economic development, fire departments, the fair, emergency management and courthouse improvements.
These sales tax funds also are allowed to be used to leverage grants by the various entities to match them.
The sales tax is not only paid by citizens throughout area towns and cities, but also those who travel through and visit our communities in Lincoln County.
Commissioners made one change in the sales tax issue submitted for renewal. Anything over the $120,000 capped amount the County Extension Center receives annually, will now be directed to Economic Development rather than a courthouse improvement fund.
We encourage voters to approve these two propositions in the Feb. 14 election.
It will allow the needs of the Chandler school district to be met and to continue assisting county government operations.