NEW FINANCE CHAIR WANTS SALES TAX DISCUSSION
Thursday, April 17th, 2008 -- 11:48 AM
The new chair of the Clark County Finance Committee says the board should look to a half-percent sales tax to fix the $1.5-million budget deficit.Charles Harwick of the Hatfield area was elected chair of the committee last night. He replaces Don Kirn of Willard. Harwick has an extensive business background.
During his previous time on the board, Harwick was a supporter of the half-percent sales tax, and says if it was passed years ago the county could be better off today?
"We'd probably be about $1.5-million ahead of where we are," Harwick predicts, "That's what the state projects we'll get from sales tax."
Clark is one of only a handful of counties around the state that doesn't have the optional sales tax.
But, in an April 2005 advisory referendum, two of every three Clark County voters said they didn't want the sales tax, but Harwick believes sentiment has changed?if not in the public?on the board.
"There are a lot of people that voted against the sales tax three years ago that are now in favor of a sales tax," Harwick says, "You know, all the counties around us have the sales tax."
The Finance Committee will begin discussing the topic in the next month or two, Harwick hopes.
The sales tax couldn't go into effect until four months after the full board passes it.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.