White Co. Sales Tax Referendum Early Voting Begins

Early voting begins in White County Wednesday for the proposed sales tax referendum.

County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson said the election comes after the town of Sparta increased its sales tax rate from the state’s 9.25 percent to 9.75 percent several years ago, around 2019. He said the county’s sales tax is still set at 9.25 percent, which creates a somewhat unbalanced dichotomy between the city’s sales tax collection and the county’s.

“Many may not realize they are but they’re already paying it but we’re just trying to collect the county’s,” Robinson said. “Do our due diligence and let the people of the county vote on it and if the people of the county don’t want it, that’s fine. But I feel like they need to have the opportunity to say yes we want our part of that money or no, we’re happy with the way things are going.”

Robinson said this will help to simplify the sales tax rates by making them the same across the board. He said residents would see the impact at their local stores and markets based in the county. Robinson said Sparta’s sales tax would not change.

Robinson said the money received from the increased rate in Sparta was earmarked for road improvements. He said while Sparta has made good strides on that work, he believes it is time for all White Countians to see the benefit he believes they are paying into.

“The goal behind it is that we have people that are County residents that are paying a tax that doesn’t have a say so in how it’s spent, they’re just having to pay it and not seeing the fruits,” Robinson said. “This way half of that money comes back to the county, particularly the school system, and then at that point the county citizens have some say so in how it’s spent.”

Robinson said early voting will run from Wednesday, February 22nd to March 9th. Election Day will be on Tuesday, March 14th.