Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Voters asked for a sales tax rededication

On Dec. 13 th Conway voters will be asked to rededication an existing half cent sales tax that would fund improvements to police and fire departments. While the money to help these departments is needed one has to wonder is this tax rededication the best approach to meet this need.

This past Saturday, Dec. 3, KATV reported Conway tax revenue increased 14 percent this year and a 10.5 percent increase last year. With this kind of growth in the city’s tax base would it not be better to use the recent win fall to increase the budgets in these departments and to fund these improvements?

The current tax was originally projected to be paid off by 2013, but a growth in sales tax collection has shortened the pay out time to about 2009. If passed, the refinancing will extend the collection to about 2016.

Do Conway citizens really need to extend this tax another 7 years or would it not be better to use the revenue already available? The choice is up to you. . .

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