As many of you know, Energy Capital Economic Development and Gillette College made a request to the Board of County Commissioners, Gillette City Council, and Wright Town Council, to place on the ballot of a special election, a quarter percent (.25% or 1/4%) economic development tax. The Campbell County Commissioners advanced the request on a 4:1 vote, the Wright Town Council advanced the request unanimously, and the Gillette City Council advanced it on a 4:3 vote.
The general feedback from the elected officials who supported putting the tax proposition on the ballot was to let the people decide. My own personal opinion is that it is not my place to block a reasonable proposal to let the people decide if they want to tax themselves. In this specific instance, it is not the elected officials from any of the boards/councils saying the tax is the best solution – we are simply saying it has merit, the College and Energy Capital ED have provided a good reason for it to be heard, and the public can ultimately decide if they see value in the organizations at a level where they want to support them with their tax dollars.
To read the rest of the article, go to https://county17.com/2017/09/01/the-quarter-percent-economic-development-tax-my-thoughts/.
