News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
White County residents will head to the polls next year to vote for a sales and use tax increase.
Roger Mason is a White County Commissioner. He said the proposed increase from 2.25-percent to 2.75-percent matches a referendum approved by the city earlier this year.
“We can’t change the fact that the sales tax rate in the city is now 2.75-percent,” mason said. “But what we can do is make sure the county is represented in that. It is a tax increase they’re voting on, but more important, it’s a vote to ensure that the county residents are represented based on the sales tax revenue that the remit when they go into town and buy things.”
The county commission voted during last week’s meeting to place the proposed increase on the March 3 ballot.
Sparta now collects 100-percent of the of the half-percent increase approved by city voters earlier this year. Mason said it’s important to match that rate because about 85-percent of county sales tax is collected inside city limits.
“The main impact is the school system. Because of the way our tax structure is, a good portion of that sales tax revenue does go to the schools,” Mason said. “It boils down to about $400,000 a year that would be benefiting the schools system, if we’re able to get this passed.”
The county commission voted against a measure earlier this year that would have placed the referendum on the September ballot.
