The Manitowoc County Executive Committee wants to replace the HVAC and windows at the Manitowoc County Courthouse, but the dome project is going to have to wait.
But how dome repairs should be paid for is the next question and County Board Chairman Tyler Martell believes a small sales tax increase is the best option.
He tells Seehafer News that he would prefer to see that rather than raising property taxes to pay for the dome.
He says the 0.5% sales tax increase could be ended in the future while a property tax increase would be permanent.
He also says it could mean about $15 million more coming from taxpayers, or about $2 million annually.
County Board Executive Bob Ziegelbauer says he will veto a sales tax increase because the county doesn’t need it.
Martell says he understands Ziegelbauer’s concern and gave an example of when Brown County put in a sales tax for a project, but instead of sunsetting the tax, the board extended it.
Martell says the board doesn’t need a super-majority vote for the sales tax increase, and there should be enough votes to override Ziegelbauer’s inevitable veto.
Martell also said in conversations with members of the public and other board members they should have enough votes for the sales tax increase.
The County Finance Committee is meeting this afternoon (January 8th) to discuss the HVAC and windows proposal from the executive committee.
If they approve it, it will go to the full county board next week.
