The results show t hat Logan County residents would rather pay sales
tax than property tax. By a clear majority they passed a referendum
for a 1 percent sales tax to benefit local schools. With 3,156 votes
cast (15.74 percent of registered voters), the referendum passed
handily with 1,915 "yes" votes to 1,241 "no." By percentage, that
breaks down to 60.68 percent of those voting favoring the new sales
tax.The County Schools Facility Occupation Tax Law was passed and
put into effect by the state of Illinois in October of 2007.
This law enabled school districts to levy a sales tax on certain
consumer products and services, with specific uses for the money
outlined by the law. Since then, a number of Illinois counties have
implemented the tax.
In November of 2010 the local school districts agreed to go
forward with trying to implement the sales tax in Logan County.
A Sales Tax Task Force was formed, with initial members being
from the Logan County Education Cooperation Committee, and a
full-blown campaign of public meetings was held throughout the
county to promote the passing of the tax.
With the referendum passed, the issue now goes to the Logan
County Board, which has the final say on what the actual percentage
will be for the sales tax. The board may choose to implement the
full 1 percent or any portion thereof.
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Once the amount is decided upon, it will be added to consumer
goods beginning Jan. 1, 2012, with the first revenues from the tax
expected to be distributed to local schools in April of that year
and continuing each month thereafter.
The sales tax will not apply to groceries, prescription and
nonprescription medications, automobiles, boats, trailers, mobile
homes, farm implements and inputs.
Full election results of all county races can be found at
http://www.co.logan.il.us/county_clerk/
election_results/results04052011.php.
[Logan
County recorder; LDN]
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