The Peoria City Council deferred voting on the 2016 budget to a meeting early next month. The main issue is road funding:
The council was set to vote on property and motor fuel tax hikes to generate new road funding revenue, and a separate sales tax increase. Councilmembers heard from members of the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce and hotel officials, saying tax hikes would drive away customers and make hotels less competitive. City Councilwoman Beth Jensen supported a deferral to get more feedback from the business community. Jensen also wants to revisit using a motor vehicle license to raise more money for roads:
“It’s the most fair way to do it, for us to get money for our roads, it’s more bang for our buck, it’s less burden on the taxpayer and it’s more fair.”
Jensen says a vehicle fee could replace proposed property tax hikes to pay for roads. Mayor Jim Ardis says the council has already had enough time to look at road funding options:
“All of a sudden everybody that wants the roads fixed is a little bit queasy about how we’re going to pay for them, which we’ve discussed with votes through the council over the last number of budget meetings.”
The Council will take up next year’s budget at its meeting on December 8th.