On Feb. 11, Searcy residents will go to the polls to vote on a 1 percent sales tax increase.
Current Searcy sales tax is 8.5 percent, but only 0.5 percent of that is a local sales tax. The raise would bring it up to a total 9.5 percent and then sunset after eight years, meaning it would return to a .05 percent local sales tax.
According to www.searcy.com, about 42 percent of the tax would go to streets and drainage, 29 percent to police and fire departments and 13 percent to parks and recreation, with the remainder spread among other areas.
According to Fox News, “the new tax would bring in roughly $6 million a year for the next eight years.”
The current 0.5 percent rate was set in 1994 and has not been adjusted since.
Junior Garrett Knight, a Kensett, Ark., resident, supports the sales tax increase because of the benefits he believes the city would see by implementing it.
“Who could say ‘no’ to better roads and support for this city’s great police and fire departments?” Knight said. “From what I understand about the situation, the city’s 0.5 percent sales tax just isn’t cutting it anymore. If Searcy residents truly care about the fate of their city, they will vote for this sales tax increase.”
Knight said that although a 1 percent increase may seem small, it is still very important.
“This proposed tax increase is a great example of why people should pay attention to the ‘small’ votes and to what their local governments are doing,” Knight said. “If you don’t look at the details of what programs this proposal is supposed to benefit, you might be alarmed at the idea of our city’s sales tax tripling.”
Junior Mallory Sword agreed with Knight that only benefits could stem from the increase.
“From what I understand, that last tax increase was in 1994, so I think this is long overdue,” Sword said. “I think it’s also a great opportunity for Searcy to use the funds from the tax increase to improve the city and help Searcy be a more progressive city.”
Early voting will begin Feb. 4, and details about locations are available at www.searcy.com.
