Story originally printed in the Vernon Broadcaster or online at www.vernonbroadcaster.com
Published - Friday, August 15, 2008
Sales tax referendum question debated
The legal affairs committee of the Vernon County Board of Supervisors met on Friday to discuss how to word a November referendum question seeking a .5 percent sales tax to rebuild the county's dams.
The county was hit twice in 10 months with major flood events and there is an estimated $10 to 15 million in damage to the county's 22 dams.
The Jersey Valley Dam has been under orders to repair since 2005. Four other dams have been added to the list. The county has secured a DNR grant through Rep. Lee Nerison (R-Westby), who introduced legislation to take $500,000 from the state DNR stewardship fund for repairing the dam.
"The bottom line is we have to get our wording out there and get it on the ballot to the people," legal affairs committee chairman Kevin Gobel said. "The people of our fine county need to say if they want to be taxed another .5 percent."
"Do you think that is going to fly in the county?" committee member Sherman Erlandson said.
"I am only one vote," Gobel said. "I think people are tired of taxes or any more fees. People are getting fed up."
"But there is one thing people don't understand," committee member Jerry Cade said. "If we go out for bonding (borrow), it goes right on the tax rolls for the locals. Where the sales tax picks up, anybody that comes in, they all pay. I disagree to even start on them dams yet. I say we tell the DNR we are broke. Federal, we are broke. We can't afford this. I think they would come up with the money. They have all kinds of money, but once we start…"
"So, it will be tied up in the committee for how long?" Erlandson said.
The question refers to how long it would be before the state legislature would act on the sales tax if it’s passed by voters.
"I am guessing that if it passes here in November, it will be two more Novembers until we see it again," Vernon County Corporation Counsel Greg Lunde said.
Lunde said he would bring some drafts with him to the next committee meeting for the committee to approve. The discussion then turned back to fixing the dams. Gobel said he voted to restore the Jersey Valley Dam because of the recreational value to the county.
"If I am going to pay to have it fixed, I want it fixed just the way it was," Gobel said.
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