Courthouse tax: Will 2nd time be a charm?

Henry County voters will decide on Feb. 2 whether individuals will pay an estimated $9 to $12 more in sales tax each year for up to 10 years to fund exterior repair of the 130-year-old county courthouse.

It will be the second attempt for a quarter-cent public facility sales tax referendum to increase the tax from 6.25 to 6.5 percent. The first referendum was defeated last spring, with 3,525 yes votes and 4,567 no.

If it should fail?

“I suppose we’ll revert to history,” said county board chairman Tom Nicholson. “It failed the last time and we tried again.

“I don’t think a person gets anywhere by using scare tactics, but there is a reality here,” he continued.

County board member Bill Preston, however, maintains the county can’t afford more taxes, and recommends as a first step repairing just the roof leaks, without scaffolding.

For the rest of this lengthy story, see the Jan. 28 Galva News.

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