The Real Truth - Future-proof our schools and VOTE YES to support the 1% Shelby County Sales Tax on March 18th, 2014. Here's everything you must know about the school facilities retailer's occupational tax.
Did you know the majority of Shelby County Schools are supporting this tax?
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If passed, this tax money will stay in Shelby County, can only be used for Shelby County school facility purposes and will be split between the schools based on the number of county students attending that school. It does not go to Springfield!
This 1% can only be used for school facilities repairs and upgrades.
It can't be used for things like:
• Operating Costs, utilities, supplies
• Salaries, Benefits
• Buses, Trucks, Mowers etc.
• Detached Furniture & Fixtures, Computers
• Moveable Equipment
The 1% can not be taxed anything new:
In fact, many everyday items will not be taxed at all, including:
Unprepared food intended for home consumption
Farm Equipment, Parts, and Inputs like fertilizer and seed, etc.
Prescription & Non-Prescription Medicines, Drugs, Medical Supplies
Personal Property that is titled or registered (Cars, Trucks, Boats, Motorcycles, Trailers, Snowmobiles, RVs, Aircrafts, Etc.)
This new approach for Shelby County voters is an opportunity to fund desperately needed school repairs and is an alternative to increased property taxes.
Good schools are important to the economic welfare of Shelby County and the future of our kids.
We want voters to be informed, so here's everything you need to know about the proposed Shelby County School Facilities Occupation Tax.
First, here's a little history:
In order for this to appear on the March 18th, 2014 ballot, more than 51% of the schools in Shelby County passed resolutions to support the 1% sales tax.
All of these schools share similar facility maintenance and child safety challenges, many of which date back to repairs and upkeep for inefficient systems that should have been upgraded or replaced decades ago. These include heating and cooling systems, structural repairs, disabled access, fire prevention, life safety equipment and general security of the building, which are critical to keeping our kids safe.
18 Illinois counties have already passed this same type of tax, which falls under the "Illinois Schools Facilities Occupational Tax" law, passed in 2007. Additionally, 10 more counties are working to get this on their ballots and passed including nearby counties Macon, Champaign, Douglas and Christian.
Shelby County has one of the lowest base Sales Tax rates in the State. And by passing this 1% increase would still keep us below surrounding counties such as Tuscola and Decatur.
Why is this important?
Because many Shelby County citizens shop in Macon, Douglas and Champaign Counties.
If you think about it, the extra 1% in sales tax you spend in those communities is directly funding their school facilities.
This is why it's critical that Shelby County citizens shop local whenever possible and support the countywide tourist attraction advantages we have to our school's benefit.
Because under the new 1% tax, when you spend money in Shelby County and tourists spend money in Shelby County it stays right here, safe and sound with our county students best interests in mind.
Estimates show that by passing this tax it would generate more than a million dollars in revenue in the first year.
Here's just a few of the projects that have been identified by our schools:
General maintenance and upkeep including , Tuck pointing, new windows, replacement of heating units and life-safety devices at Central A&M
Roof repair, window repair, parking lot repair, safety related issues (cameras, door locks, fencing, etc.) at Cowden-Herrick
Roofing leak repair and tuck pointing at Stew-Stras
School security systems, health life safety work including parking lot maintenance in Pana
Replacements of outdated heating systems and the roof at Shelbyville High School
In fact, Shelbyville High School's boiler system is so inefficient - it wastes an estimated 60 thousand dollars a year in energy loss. Two of three original boilers from the 1940's have been stripped of parts in an effort to maintain the last remaining boiler. The last time it broke down it cost nearly $300,000 to repair because there was not enough funding to replace it. To further compound the problem, all of the leaky steam pipes are wrapped in asbestos insulation, too dangerous to maintain and too expensive to repair.
This is just one example in a long list of real facility problems that currently plague our precious schools, impact our children's education and place the future of our communities at risk.
VOTE YES to support the 1% Shelby County Sales Tax on March 18th, 2014.
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