Residents to vote on proposed West Fork sales tax Aug. 9

West Fork residents will decide Aug. 9 whether to add a 1-cent, citywide sales tax to pay for city improvements.

The City Council is seeking a tax increase -- the first since 1997 -- because the city does not have enough money left over year to year to save for emergencies or anticipated needs, city officials said Thursday.

Early Voting

Residents can cast ballots on the 1-cent sales tax from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Aug. 2 until Aug. 8 at the Washington County Courthouse, County Clerk’s Office, at 280 N. College Ave. Seven voting centers will be in place on election day, Aug. 9, including one at the Community Center at West Fork.

Source: Washington County Election Commission

Improvement bonds funded by the sales tax

• West Fork Municipal Library — maximum aggregate principal amount of $515,000 to finance all or a portion of the costs of an addition to and equipment

• Frank Wenzel Community Center — maximum aggregate principal amount of $190,000 to finance all or a portion of the costs of the renovation of and equipment for Community Center

• Administration Facility — maximum aggregate principal amount of $225,000 to finance all or a portion of the costs of the renovation of and equipment for the West Fork City Works Building for city administration purposes

• Police and Court Facility — maximum aggregate principal amount of $430,000 to finance all or a portion of the costs of the renovation of and equipment for the City of West Fork Administration Building for use by the police department and courts system

Source: Notice of Election, Washington County Election Commission

Public meeting

City officials plan to answer questions about the proposed 1-cent sales tax at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the West Fork Fire Station.

Source: Staff report

A sales tax is a consumption tax placed on the sale of goods and services and collected at the point of sale. Businesses inside the city limits include Harps Food and Dollar General stores.

Fire Chief Mark Myers and other city officials hope residents will approve the measure, which is tied to improving a list of city services and buildings, they said.

The last town hall meeting on the sales tax issue is set for Tuesday. Early voting on the issue begins Aug. 2.

"Just in general, the facility improvements are desperately needed because we don't have excess money to put into maintaining our facilities," said Kristie Drymon, city finance director. "So, in the last 20 to 30 years, we are doing maintenance as needed instead of preventative maintenance. They are run down."

The proposed sales tax, if passed, is expected to generate about $222,970, according to an online post by Mayor Charles Rossetti. Rossetti was out of state on vacation Thursday and Friday.

About $53,000 per year would fund the Fire Department, and another roughly $53,000 per year would fund the Police Department. An estimated $26,000 would go annually to the city's general fund, officials said.

A portion of the sales tax would pay off bonds for four projects: building an addition to the library and renovating the Community Center, City Hall, and a police and court facility, Drymon said. That may include moving part of the city's administrative services to a different building and putting the police and court facility in the current one, she said.

If all the projects are approved, tax money would fund bonds totaling roughly $1.1 million, according to the Washington County Election Commission website. The part of the sales tax funding the bonds would sunset, Drymon said. The maturity date to pay off the bonds would be 2042, according to the online post by Rossetti.

Residents will vote independently on each bond project, Drymon said. If voters don't approve all the projects, the bonds for the approved projects will be paid off more quickly, she said.

The most expensive improvement would be the West Fork Municipal Library, where city officials hope to add 1,400 square feet to the 3,200-square-foot library.

The additional sales tax revenue could fund a bond of up to about $515,000, according to the Notice of Election posted online.

The library doesn't have enough space, fast enough internet access or enough technology, said John Riley, librarian. The bond would change that, he said. Riley wants more computers, more classes and more programs, he said.

"I see it as a public good," Riley said. "The library belongs to everyone. The library is a public place, and everyone is treated equally."

The fire and police departments also need funding, Myers said.

The Fire Department's call volume increases by up to 100 calls every year. Equipment is wearing out, he said.

Myers said firefighters need turnout gear and air packs. He also wants to update rescue-type equipment and start looking at replacing vehicles. Eventually, the Fire Department may hire another firefighter, he said.

Myers and Riley said a few people spoke against the sales tax during another town hall meeting two months ago, but they believe most people support the sales tax.

NW News on 07/18/2016

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