Voters in Centralia are being asked to approve a half-cent sales tax increase during Tuesday’s general election.
Centralia Fire Chief John Lynch and Police Chief Greg Dodson are explaining the need for the tax and how it can help prevent an increase in property taxes.
Lynch says the fire department went 19 years without the purchase of any major equipment until a new pumper and ladder truck were purchased this summer. He says the sales tax would take the burden off the city’s deficit general fund to pay the lease-purchase agreement as well as allow for the purchase of another new truck to replace a 27-year-old pumper.
“Not replacing this truck, we are going to be putting the money into either the maintenance or a payment of a new one. But either way, it’s going to cost us money.”
Lynch says the city has also now developed a plan for the future needs of both the police and fire departments.
“This is all part of a new Comprehensive Plan that the city really didn’t have in place to replace equipment. These things are projected on out now. If we get back on a replacement plan we won’t find ourselves scrambling to find the revenues for that.”
Centralia Police Chief Greg Dodson says the tax would provide money for the yearly replacement of two squad cars that now take about $100,000 a year out of the general fund budget. He feels the sales tax question is really a question of how residents pay to keep public safety rolling in Centralia.
“It spreads it out on people who may not live in Centralia but come shop and work and take advantage of the emergency services the city provides. So the choice for the voters is do we pay for this equipment that is inevitable, we have to purchase and find a way to pay for it. Do we pay for it through a sales tax that spreads it out over a much larger and broader group of people. Or do we concentrate this on the property owner which is a smaller group of people.”
The Centralia City Council got its first look at the budget last week and it showed a nearly $700,000 deficit in the general fund that will require further cuts or additional revenue.
