Thursday, June 11, 2009

Time To Consider A Local Sales Tax?

Raising taxes, or establishing a new one, is an unpopular topic at any time. Especially in the current economic conditions.

But according to the Associated Press, residents of Osceola and Stromsburg "will be paying more sales tax on local purchases." According to the story, "in special all-mail elections, voters in both eastern Nebraska towns approved the increases."

Customers making purchases in either town will now pay the state-maximum 1.5 percent local sales tax. Revenues from the local tax will help pay for a new water plant, a bigger fire station and make repairs to the town swimming pool.

So we ask: Is it time for Dorchester to consider a local sales tax? Could revenues from such a tax make a dent in the cost of paving our streets, building a pool, or making other needed upgrades? It's worth considering, if only for a minute or two.

7 comments:

  1. We're paying it everywhere else, why establish it here?

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  2. A pool would be a very nice asset to the village....keep the money in the town instead of crete, friend, and wilber pools

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  3. Not enough sales in Dorchester to help, only the Bars, Gas, and the Grocery store. You will also have to pay on utilities and Car sales tax. The way I see it the only people that will be paying is those that currently live in the big D. If you have a city sales tax you need those that travel through your town to help pay. Dorchester just does not have that.

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  4. I would love to see them build a new fire station on that lot next to the current fire station. Build a big fire station with glass doors like crete has so you can show off your trucks. The problem is if you start charging sales tax it will be many many years before the money goes towards something like that.

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  5. A pool would be great. But if you build a pool in this town with dirt/gravel streets you will soon have one big mud hole.

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  6. Phil

    crazy comment

    this town doesnt need a different fire hall.

    It is totally suffient for a town of this size.

    Glass doors to show off trucks, come on, that is wild

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  7. If the people of Dorchester are not willing to get behind any of these things (pool, paving ect.) do you really think adding more taxes is going to help? It might drive some to do their business in other towns. I think a pool seems silly, do you think we really have enough people to support a pool and all the up keep it will take to keep it nice? I would hate to see the time and effort go into one and have it end up looking like the dirt roads and downtown area in a few years. If people are not willing to put some elbow grease into fixing up what we already have why add another problem to the pot??????

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