August 24, 2018
By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph –
Washita County Commissioners are eyeing part of the 1.25% county sales tax that’s falling off the books next year as trying to get some of it earmarked for administration needs and expenses.
Commissioners at their meeting last Monday chewed on the prospect of re-upping the 1.25% sales tax that’s sunseting next year and discussing the possibility of using some of it on needs that the county has.
District 2 County Commissioner Leo Goeringer says the most hurt is coming from keeping the jail going, though there’s a whole list of financial concerns for the county.
The agenda item last week was on possible divisions of the sales tax and earmarking some of it if voters would approve it next year.
The county commissioners aren’t the only entity that is eyeing the sunsetting tax money.
Cordell’s hospital wants to upgrade and expand services for Washita County’s citizens.
In anticipation of the summer 2019 Washita County sales tax vote, Cordell Memorial Hospital has revealed a five-year plan to renovate and redesign hospital facilities and to add much-needed equipment.
Then CEO Landon Hise told commissioners back in May that the hospital had a half cent county sales tax up until about four years ago and he said it was his and his hospital board’s desire to request getting that back when the election happens in about a year. Hise said the quarter cent will give the hospital a big shot in the arm toward the amount of money needed to meet their five year plan. At the time, their price tag for all of the upgrades was $650,000.
Hise left the hospital for the same position in Clinton, but before he did, he went back to the commission in June was was met with blunt and to-the-point remarks from commissioners. Commission Chairman Raydell Schneberger spared no words nor sugar-coated the fact that county finances coming though county sales taxes are dwindling. He told Hise, “we’re in trouble,” referring to the county’s finances.
At that same meeting in June, Schneberger said that after the county holds the next sales tax election and it passes, the county will be cutting fire departments in half in order to have enough money in the county’s general fund make payments. He said, “because we’re in trouble, bottom line.”
As for asking voters to re-up the sunseting 1.25% tax next year, that’s a foregone conclusion. That will happen, Goeringer says. All that’s left to be decided is where the different parts of the tax will be spent.
In April, Washita County voters approved an election ballot measure to go wet, meaning that residents could have liquor by the drink. The idea was to keep diners in the county spending money which means sales tax for county coffers.
Goeringer says he’s glad it passed though he’s not noticed any increase in the sales tax numbers.
Commissioners will soon decide an election date for the re-upping of the sales tax for Washita County.
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