Kane County board member Mavis Bates told Aurora Lions Club members Thursday, March 6 that the county will run out of money for public safety without the Public Safety Sales Tax Referendum.
Bates, District 4 Kane Board member, detailed the proposed county retailers’ occupation tax, intended to raise $51 million in revenue, at a Lions’ luncheon at Paulie’s Pub in Aurora. The county board put a referendum about the proposal on the April 1 consolidated election ballot.
Bates said, “Our county needs an increase in funding to maintain our service levels or we will run out of money in the near future and be forced to cut programs that affect the safety of our community.”
She stressed that the tax excludes groceries, prescription medicines, medical appliances and vehicles including cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats and trailers. If approved, the tax will yield 75 cents for every $100 in retail sales.
“The intention,” she said, “is to raise funds to support public safety in our county,” including the sheriff’s department and courts, coroner, circuit clerk, 911 and Office of Emergency Management. Every dollar raised through the tax would be required by state law to be spent on public safety.”
She added that intended revenue would support unmandated safety programs such as specialty courts, the Child Advocacy Center, state’s attorney’s office programs, the sheriff’s Special Victims team and infrastructure upgrades at the jail.
—Al Benson