How’s the sales tax money divided?

To the Editor:

To all the folks writing in favor of what the extra half-percent sales tax could fund–

I am NOT against a community center, an event center, auditorium, ice arena, whatever. (I would like, however, to see all the city streets as flat as a pool table-all at once.)

Since our first half-percent sales tax debacle in 2016, the rules have changed about how a ballot can be worded when presented to the voters. (Minnesota statute 297.99a.)

So, before you blindly vote “yes” to another half-percent, you first have to specify how the money gets divided up, some going to “community center” — some to “ice arena” — some to “any amount” yet to be determined.

The ethical, honest, “legal” wording would be:

“Shall the city of Fairmont impose a sales and use tax of one-half of one percent (0.05 percent) for no more than 25 years or until $20,000,000 is raised to finance the construction of a community center and an ice arena in the city, with $10,000,000 allotted to the community center and $10,000,000 allotted to an ice arena in the city?”

Anything else is deceptive and purposely misleading. So… “BOHICA”, folks…Be careful…

I suppose I do support the Fairmont Taxpayers Coalition for Government Transparency, who is trying to keep the taxpayers of Fairmont from again being taxed under, what we think, are false pretenses like the 2016 referendum did…and is still doing.

As for me, personally, I don’t want to sink any deeper into this legal quagmire.

Roger Hendrickson

Registered Old(er)

Curmudgeon

Fairmont