Johnson County Sales Tax Renewal

A quarter-cent Johnson County sales tax to supplement school funding is about to expire. County commissioners want voters to renew the tax to fund public safety.

Public safety should be a priority. So why wasn't that funded first? The answer is simple. Officials think citizens may be willing to pay extra for something as important as law enforcement. They know voters would not voluntarily raise their taxes to pay for many of the other pet projects the commission has funded.

Commissioners have placed this on the August ballot, hoping that low voter turnout will allow contractors and others who benefit economically to get the measure passed.

There are many reasons to defeat this tax. State law requires that over one-third of the money be shared with cities. No one really knows for what. Unlike previous sales taxes, this one will never expire. But the best reason to defeat this tax is to force commissioners to set priorities and pay for critical services first.