The White County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, at their October 19, 2020 meeting, expressed their opposition to the 1% public safety sales tax proposed for White County. After careful consideration of the potential revenue impact as well as the current state of the local economy due to COVID, the directors voted to publicly oppose the tax increase by a vote of 12-0-1.
“The negative impact COVID restrictions are having on our local businesses far outweighs the necessity of a sales tax increase this year,” commented Bryce Williams, President of the White County Farm Bureau. “While we appreciate the difficult revenue situation our county has found itself in, higher taxes in White County will not improve the economic opportunity that we need to nurture if we are to have a viable economic future for our White County communities.”
Illinois Farm Bureau policy does support the use of a sales tax to fund local governments in lieu of higher property taxes. However, the White County Directors felt like the county’s proposed sales tax increase was ill-timed considering the negative impact COVID has had on small businesses and families this year.
The language on the ballot will read, “To pay for public safety purposes, shall White County be authorized to impose an increase in its share of local sales tax by 1%?” The White County Farm Bureau urges its members and White County voters to vote “No” on the sales tax increase.
