Jail tax to expire July 1
Staff writer
Despite county officials’ original plans to hold a special election later this month to extend a 2011 half-cent sales tax, the tax will end July 1.
Commissioners had planned to hold an election in the hope of extending a 2011 half-cent sales tax that funded construction of the jail.
The reason for the planned extension was to build a new transfer station to replace the crumbling one now in use.
However, holding a March 20 election required decisions to be made about a transfer station prior to the election because a ballot question about extending the tax would have specified $4.6 million. That’s the projected cost of the transfer station plan commissioners selected in January after reviewing four options presented by BG Consultants.
After choosing the $4.6 million option, commissioners reconsidered their decision and began reviewing other locations and designs. Additional locations and designs included building a transfer station south of Marion next to a county shop, building a station near Florence, and building a station in Marion a mile north of US-56.
The jail sales tax was canceled last week when commissioners met on Wednesday.
Commissioners approved a consulting agreement with George K. Baum and Company to retire the sales tax and create an escrow fund to pay off $2,600 in bonds. They then adopted a resolution requesting the state secretary of revenue to terminate the current tax.