Peoria County voters will have two sales tax questions to consider on the November ballot. The Peoria County Schools Facility 1/2-percent sales tax question is getting another go and there’s a referendum seeking an additional 1/4-percent sales tax increase for roads.
Peoria County kicked off a series of town hall meeting last night on its referendum requesting voters approve a 1/4-percent sales tax for roads.
Peoria County Administrator Scott Sorrel says if approved, the referendum would mean the county could do about $35-million of road reconstruction.
He says if the referendum fails, “what it means for us is we’re going to have to continue to have to stretch the dollars, that we have to try and be as preventative as we can. But it does mean the county’s portion of the road network in our community is going to continue to deteriorate.”
Sorrel explained to the audience at the town hall meeting that the maintenance needs of Peoria County Roads exceed its share of the Motor Fuel Tax as well as the its own highway budget.
He says if the 1/4-percent sales tax referendum is approved, the county would start with reconstruction of nearly five-miles of roads in the city. The county proposes reconstructing or doing overlay on a total of 25.5 miles of roads.
It would cost Peoria County Shoppers an additional quarter on a $100 purchase of electronics or clothes or about three-cents on a $10 fast food purchase. The tax would expire in 15-years if wasn’t reauthorized.
Link to more information about Peoria County Road Sales Tax Referendum.