By WHITNEE ICE
St. Joseph Post
A quarter-cent sales tax increase is coming to the ballot this August for Buchanan County residents.
The sales tax is expected to bring in an additional 3.6 million dollars to the sheriff’s department.
Sheriff Bill Puett says after some time and hard work, they have come decided to add a tax increase to the ballot.
“The Commission has graciously put a quarter-cent sales tax increase to the existing quarter-cent on the ballot,” Puett tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.
Sheriff Bill Puett says he recognizes no one wants to pay more taxes.
“I’m sorry that we have to ask for it, but we are asking for it humbly and trying to explain why we need it because we are trying to address what the community wants, increased safety dealing with the increase in problems that are coming into this community,” says Puett.
Sheriff Bill Puett says this increase is needed as it’s a difficult time to be in law-enforcement.
“We are asking people to go in harm's way every day with some of these evil people that are out hear doing bad things and so they stand in the gap and keep our community safe,” says Puett.
Puett says this will be the first sales tax increase for Buchanan County since 1990 when the current quarter-cent sales tax was first implemented.