Letter: Why tax without project approval?

I was in attendance at the public hearing on the food and beverage tax.

I asked several questions regarding the tax, the project the tax is to pay for, and the alternative funding to cover the remaining cost.

As the article stated, over two million per year will be needed to pay a bond off over a twenty-year period.

The food and beverage tax is expected to raise $495,000 per year. That leaves over $1.5 million per year that, in a worst-case scenario, falls on the property taxpayers of the city of Jasper.

I asked if the bond referendum failed, would the food and beverage tax be rescinded? The answer I received was, “No, we will build something.”

Our city council seems dead set on putting a tax in place before they even know if the citizens of Jasper will approve the regional fitness center.

This seems very scary to me. “I don’t know if my project will be approved, but let me tax you anyway.” Where have we heard that before?

Vincent Granacher, Jasper