By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Voters in November will decide on whether to approve a half-cent tax increase measure to help increase pay for the St. Joseph Police Department.
The half-cent increase is expected to generate $5.5 million annually to help fund the pay increases.
Deputy Mayor Randy Schultz says the city council has already began drumming up support for the measure on the north and south end of St. Joseph.
"We've done that already, we're going to set up a committee with the council to make sure we go to your Lions Club, your rotary, go out and talk to the schools," Schultz tells reporters. "To let people, know where and how they can support the tax."
Schultz says he doesn't feel like the city is relying too much on sales tax increases and making them go too high.
"I think any progressive cities, if you go and look around the state, your progressive cities have a higher sales tax which means you have better infrastructure, you have higher retention of police, fire, and I believe that is a bonus," Schultz explains. "And I believe that's a growing point for St. Joe."
Schultz says this tax increase is strictly to help fund the police department, and won't affect the current safety tax.
"So, it's specific that you can say in a column, say B column, it's just the police it's nothing else," Schultz says. "You have a safety tax to take care of those other three."
Pay increases approved by the St. Joseph City Council along with the local Fraternal Order of Police includes a $49,000 starting wage, as well as a three percent annual increase in salaries.
