Wood River is asking for assistance in boosting the city’s sales tax to help pay for community improvements.
The city, located just across the river from St. Louis, wants to have a 1 percent municipal sales tax to fund necessary infrastructure improvements. Currently, the overall sales tax rate is 6.85 percent when you add in state, county and special taxes.
The measure is on the ballot April 2.
The municipal sales tax is supported by Real Property Alliance, which sees a referendum as a smart way to fund infrastructure improvements in the city of just over 10,000 residents. The private property rights organization has long held that using sales taxes can be a better way to achieve funding goals than by setting in motion a never-ending cycle of property tax increases.
In the case of a sales tax referendum, every voter gets a chance to weigh in on the increase, rather than have a elected board sanction tax hikes.
According to an Alton Telegraph story, the money would be used for much-needed improvements including sewer repairs, construction of a community center and addressing flooding problems. The city also wants to build a recreation center. Property tax relief is also a possible use for the funding, if approved by voters.
