Vote YES to END Tax

An Editorial by Dave Freneaux

    Two items on this Saturday's ballot are confusing.  Normally a NO vote ends or prevents a tax and a YES vote approves a tax.  The two items on this ballot are worded so that YES actually means NO.  While every voter needs to decide on their own whether to vote YES or NO, be aware that a NO Vote, in this case, allows or extends taxes, and a YES vote ends or prevents taxes.

   Our policy at Central Speaks is NOT to endorse any candidate or any position on an election item.  This Saturday is an exception, and I believe you will see why.  On the ballot is an item called "Central Community School Board 1/2% S&U Tax" which is a proposition to set an end date to the 1/2 cent sales tax Central approved to build the new Middle School.  It was the INTENT of the School Board that this extra 1/2 cent sales tax would end when the bonds used to build the Middle School were paid off, and that is what was initially told to the voters.  However, the actual tax that was on the ballot called for a perpetual 1/2 cent sales tax, meaning that even when the Middle School debt was paid off, the sales tax will continue.  The only way to correct this error is for the voters of Central to vote YES on this item.  If this item passes, the 1/2 cent sales tax will end in about 18 years.  If this item fails, the sales tax will continue even after the Middle School is paid for.

    So, there are three things to know about Saturday's sales tax vote:

1) This is NOT a new tax, it is to set an END date for the current tax.

1) If Central votes YES, the 1/2 cent sales tax will end when the Middle School is paid off.

2) If Central votes NO (as people are inclined to do on tax items) the 1/2 cent sales tax will not end.

    Central Speaks is ONLY encouraging voters to vote YES on the "Central Community School Board 1/2% S&U Tax" because that was the intent when the tax was originally passed.