UPDATED: City Council to talk taxes in work session Friday

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October 18, 2012

UPDATED: City Council to talk taxes in work session Friday

By Jean Cole jean@athensnews-courier.com The News Courier Thu Oct 18, 2012, 01:21 PM CDT

ATHENS — Athens City Council members have scheduled a work session Friday to discuss a proposed 1-cent sales tax increase in the city as well as some other city business.

The public meeting will be held at 9 a.m. in the courtroom of the Police Department at 951 E. Hobbs St.

Consumers currently pay 8 percent or 8 cents on every dollar they spend in the city. Of the 8 cents on every dollar, 4 cents goes to the state and 4 cents are split evenly between the city and Limestone County. The proposal that council members will discuss Friday would mean charging a penny more in tax on sales made in the city.

Last month, Mayor Ronnie Marks sent a draft of how additional money might be spent if the council approved such an increase. However, the decision is up to the five-member City Council. Among the needs on the mayor’s draft list are:

• Infrastructure;

• City schools;

• City of Athens General Fund;

• Athens-Limestone Public Library and Houston Memorial Library;

• Tourism, Spirit of Athens, special events;

• Industrial development and retail development;

• Contingency fund or debt repayment.

Before voting on the matter, council members and the mayor would first discuss whether they would fund this proposed list or compile a different list. They would also have to decide what percentage of any additional sales tax would go to each.

Because this is a work session, council members could NOT vote on the proposal Friday.