Supporters of the local-option sales tax have raised $43,850 in their campaign to win a “yes” vote in the special election Tuesday.
According to paperwork filed with the Iowa Campaign and Ethics Disclosure Board, “Vote Yes for Our Neighbors” raised most of its money through local organizations and businesses.
The Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce contributed [...]
Archive for February, 2009
“Vote Yes” rakes in dough, “Tea Party” no
Posted in Cedar Rapids City Council, County Government, Flood, tagged City of Cedar Rapids, Linn County, local option sales tax on February 27, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Sales Tax Question #8: How will buyouts work?
Posted in Cedar Rapids City Council, Flood, tagged City of Cedar Rapids, Flood of 2008, Jennifer Pratt, local option sales tax on February 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Q. How will the money be distributed to homeowners? What qualifications/paperwork will homeowners need to present? What can homeowners do with the money? Can they hire anyone they want to do repairs, or must they use city recommended labor/suppliers? What will ensure homeowners will use the money as it was intended? What about homeowners [...]
Sales Tax Question #7: What about that school tax?
Posted in Cedar Rapids City Council, County Government, Flood, tagged Cedar Rapids, Linn County, local option sales tax on February 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Q. Do we already have a penny added to our sales tax here in Cedar Rapids? We thought that one was added to help the Cedar Rapids Schools? How long was that supposed to run and when will it drop off? – Greg and JoAnn Snyder, Cedar Rapids
A. The school local-option sales tax, [...]
Sales Tax Question #6
Posted in Cedar Rapids City Council, County Government, Flood, tagged City of Cedar Rapids, Linn County, local option sal on February 25, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Q. Is local-option sales tax revenue only for flood victims? Are the funds to be kept in a separate account? Who will have oversight of this account and decide if the funds requested are flood related or not? – Edwin Kortenkamp, Marion
A. This is a three-part question, so I’ll answer in three parts.
Is local-option sales [...]
Sales Tax Question #5: Why does Des Moines need to be involved?
Posted in Cedar Rapids City Council, County Government, Flood, tagged City of Cedar Rapids, Linn County, local option sales tax on February 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Q. Why does Des Moines get the money if it’s a local-option sales tax? Why can’t the money just come straight to Cedar Rapids and Linn County? – Ken Lampe, Cedar Rapids
A. Companies that sell things collect the tax from people when they buy things, and then send the money to the Iowa Department of [...]
Sales Tax Question #4
Posted in Cedar Rapids City Council, County Government, Flood, tagged City of Cedar Rapids, Linn County, local option sales tax on February 24, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Q. If Linn County votes “yes”, does some of the money that would go to flood relief in Cedar Rapids end up being syphoned off to the county? – Steve Benton, Toddville
A. If rural Linn County voters pass the tax, it will mean less revenue for the city, but I can’t say with precision how [...]
Sales Tax Question #3
Posted in Cedar Rapids City Council, County Government, Flood, tagged City of Cedar Rapids, Linn County, local option sales tax on February 24, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Q. If the local-option sales tax were defeated March 3, how soon could the council bring a second plan to a vote? – Jean Bonner, Cedar Rapids
A. The earliest would be Aug. 4, and if not that date, then Nov. 3.
Iowa law allows for city and county elections on only four dates each year. This [...]
Sales Tax Question #2
Posted in Cedar Rapids City Council, County Government, Flood, tagged Cedar Rapids, Linn County, local option sales tax on February 24, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Q. I would like some clarification on how the money will be split for ALL five years. Will it be a 90%-10% split for ALL five years? Or will it be the 90%-10% split for only the first year? – Ken Brill, Cedar Rapids
A. Depends on if you’re talking about the city or the county.
The [...]
Sales Tax Question #1
Posted in Cedar Rapids City Council, Flood, tagged Casey Drew, City of Cedar Rapids, local option sales tax, property taxes on February 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Q. Have there been any guarantees that if the local-option sales tax is passed that there will not be any increases in any of our other taxes, ie. property tax, etc.? – Gary Riley, Toddville
A. The answer is no, at least in the city of Cedar Rapids. There have been no such guarantees, though sales [...]
Manager salary freeze: Is it a punitive demand?
Posted in County Government, tagged Brent Oleson, Brian Gardner, Joel Miller, Linn County, Mike Stevenson, Sheriff's Office on February 16, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Brent Oleson thinks so. He argues the non-supervisor elected officials — Auditor Joel Miller, Treasurer Mike Stevenson, Sheriff Brian Gardner and Recorder Joan McCalmant — aren’t nearly as interested in fiscal conservatism as they say they are.
Really? Then why did ALL of those elected officials turn in budget requests well above last year’s funding for [...]
