Bartlett Plan Would Fund Public Safety, Roads
Mayor proposes permanent sales tax extension for public safety, streets
BY ZACK STOYCOFF World Staff Writer
Thursday, March 07, 2013
Mayor Dewey Bartlett has proposed generating $12 million a year for public safety and roadwork by permanently extending a sales tax that was sought for the five-year capital improvements package being prepared for voters this November.
Bartlett told the City Council on Thursday that the city’s portion of the 0.167-cent 4 to Fix the County tax could fund two police and fire academies annually with $5 million left for street repairs and streetscape beautification such as graffiti removal and mowing.
The tax is earmarked for projects from the 2008 Fix Our Streets initiative until June 30, 2014, and would have to be extended by voters for any use beyond that.
Bartlett said he will ask the council to put the extension on November’s ballot as a permanent sales tax. Officials previously proposed extending it for five years as part of the $800 million funding package, which would drop to $740 million without the tax.