Vote yes for local option sales tax

To the editor:

I am trying to wrap my head around the half-percent option sales tax being voted on, on the November ballot, to be used for a community center and ice arena. First, there is SO much fear that it is going to raise our taxes. It is a half percent (.005) tax that would be added to visitors’ hotel bill, visitor restaurant bill, candy, and pop. It will not be added onto your staple grocery items. It will not be added onto your clothing bill, medications, vehicle purchase or farm equipment purchase. A $50.00 meal in a restaurant will now cost you…wait for it… 25 extra cents. A $6.00 case of pop is going to have .005 added to it. If you round up, that would be 3 cents. A $1000 leather coat is going to cost 5 extra dollars, but a $1000 worth of school clothing-nothing. If you spend a weekend in the cities, do their extra taxes keep you away? Please VOTE YES for the half percent options sales tax for the betterment of our community!

But, you may not want a community center or hockey arena. [Please go to Fairmont.org/city-council-meetings, click on September 23 to watch John Kasper and other representatives update.] Okay, but could you be part of a 27 million dollar new building at a minimal cost to you? I don’t understand why people keep questioning the integrity of the Fairmont Area Community center Foundation. They have done everything the Council has asked them to do, and more. However, the lawsuit holding up progress IS costing the taxpayers money. Why are the people behind the frivolous lawsuit willing to spend taxpayers money on that, but not a community center?. With all John Kasper and his team has laid out for this community center, how it will be run, where money is coming from, etc., how can anyone NOT want this extra tax, that will enhance our community and a lot of it paid for by visitors and those who have an entertainment budget.

Now, the person who says she is behind the “hold up” wants the community center to be all things to all people (sounds like a way more expensive building that is budgeted for, which had to be scaled way back because it was too expensive). I feel all of us citizens need to ask ourselves, our current Council, and those running for office, are we for Fairmont? Do we want to look at ideas positively and TRY to prosper, or take the negative rout and stay stagnant. Maybe you only want the hockey arena, maybe only community center, but how about we all think POSITIVELY, work together, and have a brand-new facility that we can be proud of. Drop the lawsuit, VOTE YES FOR LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX so we can get the job done. If you have questions, please watch September 23 City Council meeting.

Beth Kloeckner

Fairmont