half-cent sales tax

The city of Waite Park is looking into the idea of creating a new half-cent sales tax.

The city of St. Cloud will be asking the legislature for authority to collect an additional half-cent sales to help pay for some road projects and MAC renovations.

As Stearns County commissioners consider their options for possibly raising more money for transportation projects, St. Cloud's mayor has given his opinion. Mayor Dave Kleis has sent a letter to the commissioners stating that he thinks the half-cent sales tax, if that's the option they choose, should be brought to the voters through a county-wide referendum for approval.

A public hearing is scheduled for next month so Stearns County commissioners can consider how to fund road construction projects over the next five years.

Voters in the six-city St. Cloud metro area will be asked to extend the half-cent sales tax Tuesday, during the Election 2014. If it passes in all of the cities, $4 million of the money collected will go toward the planned Aquatic and Community Center.

The St. Cloud city council has approved putting a half-cent sales tax extension on the November ballot, and what that specific question will be. St. Cloud voters will be asked to extend the current half-cent sales tax for another 20 years - from 2019 through 2038.

Sauk Rapids residents can learn more about a plan to extend the half cent sales tax. Public information meetings will be held from 1:00 until 3:00 p.m. and from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. today (Monday) in the Community Room of the Sauk Rapids Government Center.

Future half cent sales tax dollars would be spent on expanding the Lake Wobegon Trail, building a community and aquatics center, and upgrades to the St. Cloud Regional Airport.

St. Cloud city leaders want your input on the local option sales tax - also known as the half-cent sales tax. They've set-up an online survey to gauge public interest of future projects, using the extra tax collections.

The six cities in the St. Cloud metro area are beginning the process of extending the regional half-cent sales tax. The cities are planning to survey the residents on what regional projects they'd like to see with the additional revenue from local option sales tax.