The work of Fort Dodge voters will be just starting when they color in the oval next to the name of their preferred presidential candidate.
After making their picks in all kinds of races, they'll have to flip the ballot over. On the back, near the bottom of the page, they'll make their choice on a proposed 1-cent local option sales tax.
That levy would generate about $3.2 million a year to be invested in city streets, plus water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer work done in conjunction with street projects.
An estimated 47 percent of that money would be generated by out-of-town residents who shop in Fort Dodge, according to city officials.
The tax would replace a half-cent levy that's been in place since 2001.
A simple majority is needed to approve the tax. If it's approved, the tax will be implemented July 1, 2009.
If it's not approved, the city will have no local option sales tax. That's because the half-cent tax expires June 30, 2009, regardless of what happens with the referendum vote on the new levy.
The new sales tax would not have an expiration date.
Without a sales tax, the local government will have three options to address road needs, according to City Manager David Fierke. He said those options would be:
- Don't do any street work
- Issue general obligation bonds to pay for street work, which would eventually increase property taxes
- Charge assessments to residents and businesses who own property along streets that are to be repaired
Last spring, heated criticism prompted the City Council to walk away from a plan to charge assessments to pay one-third of the cost of some street reconstruction jobs.
Fierke said local option sales tax revenue is projected to be a ''major component'' of future improvement plans.
City Council members have concluded that they can't make any decisions about additional road work until the election is over. They plan to have a special meeting on street projects after the vote.
Since 2001, money from the half-cent local option sales tax has paid for most of the repaving in the city.
Fierke said the city will have spent about $10.5 million in local option sales tax money by the end of 2009.
This year, about 90 blocks have been repaved, according to City Engineer Chad Schaeffer. He said that work would not have been possible without money from the local option sales tax.
Contact Bill Shea at (515) 573-2141 or bshea@messengernews.net
