Chippewa County Board member Jim Ericksen spoke in public comment Monday night at the Stanley City Council meeting, seeking to set the record straight on tax rumors.
“There’s a lot of confusion on that right now,” he said of rumors related to taxes and the state budget cycle. “The only way there can be an increase in the sales tax is by the state authorizing it. What we want to do as a county government, through the county’s association, is try and get the legislation changed, so that the counties themselves could make that decision.” Rather than leave road aid with the state, a referendum on sales tax could have the county take responsibility.
Ericksen said he favored a referendum on a half percent sales tax, with the resulting money raised to go for roads. Prompted by Wards 1 and 8 Alderperson Mark Fitzsimmons, Ericksen said that county roads have been under budgeted by $3 million per year the past six years, based on inflation alone. A half percent sales tax could generate up to $9 million in Chippewa County, helping the county catch up on its road situation while ensuring fairness by using a sales tax, something everyone paid at some point. Options with the prospective funds raised could range from rebuild, to paving, to chipseal. The latter buys time, while the ideal is to rebuild.
“Right now, I don’t think I have to tell you what condition our roads are,” he said. “We like to have a 25 year life on our roads. We’re at 51 years now on our roads, and it was a high, as high as 55 but that influx of COVID money we poured as a county, most of that into the county roads, and it did bring it down to 51 years. You guys deal with the budget every year, you know, show me where the fat is, and we’ll take it out, and there just is not a lot of fat in any of these municipal or county budgets, and so I want to set it straight that all we’re doing is asking for permission.”
Ericksen said that Chippewa County is currently in the top ten for lowest county tax rate at $2.12 per $1,000, while Clark County is the highest at $6.81 per $1,000.
“We’re just starting the budget process, but we’re hoping to stay at least in the top 10 lowest, and I’m always available,” he said. “You have any other questions, anything like that. I’m always available.”