Steve Balich Editors note: Elections have consequences! Democrats want more of your money to expand government. Republicans don’t. So many people are hit over and over with higher and higher taxes hurting those who can least afford them like single moms and those on a fixed income. People need to really understand their vote counts and vote against anyone that wants to take more money out of your pocket.
Will County Board passes 4-cent countywide gas tax
The Will County Board narrowly passed a 4-cent per gallon countywide gas tax with County Executive Larry Walsh breaking a tied vote.
[Eric Ginnard – eginnard@shawmedia.com]Board member Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet, told her caucus before Thursday’s meeting she would be voting against the tax. With her “no” vote, the tally was 13-13, before Walsh, D-Elwood, voted for the ordinance.Ventura argued that she wasn’t against raising more revenue to maintain the county’s aging roadway system, especially with a growing population and logistics industry. But she wanted to see less of the burden fall on residents, possibly through further relief on property taxes for homeowners.She said she wanted to see the board take measures to shift the burden toward the businesses using county roadways and adding to the truck traffic.[Eric Ginnard – eginnard@shawmedia.com]Speaker Denise Winfrey, D-Joliet, said she was uncomfortable tying the gas tax to any sort of property tax relief as they are two different issues.Still, Winfrey said she was open to looking for more ways to lower the burden on homeowners. She also pointed out that the county government’s tax rate had decreased each of the last five years.As in past meetings, Republicans went on the attack against the gas tax, as each caucus member voted against it.”You’ve got a (Democratic) majority that just wants to tax and spend,” said Jim Moustis, R-Homer Glen.[Eric Ginnard – eginnard@shawmedia.com]
Member Steve Balich, R-Homer Glen, made a motion to send the vote back to committee, but the Democratic majority voted it down.Joe VanDuyne, D-Wilmington, called the motion a “stall tactic” and said members and residents had ample opportunity to debate the issue, including at multiple town hall meetings around the county. He and other Democrats argued the tax was a proactive, forward-thinking measure to accommodate growing roadway construction expenses in the future.”The potential road improvements that we’re looking at are not cheap,” VanDuyne said.The gas tax is expected to generate about $12 million a year, nearly all of which would go directly to county coffers. The tax is also tied to inflation.Jeff Ronaldson, the county’s director of transportation, said he expects the tax to go into effect Feb. 1.[Eric Ginnard – eginnard@shawmedia.com]MarijuanaThe board also voted down a ban on recreational marijuana businesses in unincorporated areas along party lines.The Democratic majority also passed zoning rules and a tax on all licensed recreational marijuana sales throughout Will County.The county will tax recreational marijuana sales in municipalities at 3% and sales in unincorporated areas at 3.75%.[Eric Ginnard – eginnard@shawmedia.com]Member Ken Harris, D-Bolingbrook, who chairs the Finance Committee, said he would bring up for discussion next month how the revenue would be used.While members generally seemed to agree the revenue should be used to offset potential increased public health and safety expenses, Republicans argued for more specific language in the ordinance to spell out where the money should go.Democrats argued it was premature to make such determinations since the county didn’t know how much revenue it would receive, or where needs might arise once recreational marijuana use becomes legal next year.Republicans were also unsuccessful in passing motions to ban recreational marijuana businesses in certain areas zoned for commercial use and to implement a buffer for communities which had already opted out of allowing businesses within their borders.
