(Tax info at the bottom of the article)

Cash strapped Stephenson County is preparing to ask voters to fund improvements to public safety. If you remember several folks lost their jobs a few weeks ago due to financial woes, and now county leaders hope to it.

A public safety tax increase is on the February 2nd ballot in Stephenson County, but many residents including local business owners haven't even heard of the tax.

Al Lutz owns Trend Room Menswear and he said, "Well I'd like to know where this has been. I haven't heard anything about it, I haven't read anything about it that I've seen."

"I think me and the general public as a whole need to know more about what's going on with it. How they're going to be using the money and how that's going to affect the business community," said Cal Wescott, owner of Rite Way Furniture and Appliances.

A committee was formed more than a month ago to inform the public of the tax, but nothing public has been presented, at least not yet. Stephenson County Board Chairman John Blum says the real campaign will begin in the next week and a half. Some residents are already weighing in on the proposed tax increase.

"It's one of those things where yeah, if we really see that there's no other way, no other way possible and we need to have public safety, then maybe this is the only way that it has to happen," said Wescott.

"I don't think it'll be close, if you put it on the ballot I don't think it will even be close, it'll be 10 to 1 against, at least," said Lutz.

Blum says, "The balance is, public safety and a half penny, and the county board is asking the citizens to consider this positively. We don't like taxes any more than any consumer watching this would, but we're just down to this option."

A half percent increase would be added to every sale in the county, except for food, medical, and licensed vehicle purchases. The increase would double the current half-percent public saftey tax, but Chairman Blum says it's a necessary move.

"If we do not get this, we're afraid if the economy doest not improve drastically, we're going to have to make some other moves internally and again reduce services. It seems to be our only option."

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Currently the county recieves a .25% tax from every sale in municipalities (such as Freeport and Lena), and a 1% tax from every other sale throughout the county. The rest of the sales taxes go to the state and local cities.

In 1997 the county implemented a .5% public safety tax of a possible 1% public safety tax. The new tax would bring the tax up to 1%, which is the highest legal amount a public safety tax can be.

The new tax would apply to all sales except:

-All vehicles and personal property that is titled or registered with an agency of the state's government

-Food that will be eaten off the premises it was sold (so groceries, but not restaurants)

-Medicines and medical appliances

-Farm machinery and equipment (any item used primarily for agriculture production)

-Newspapers and magazines

By law the revenue generated from the public safety tax must go to public safety which includes: law enforcement (county sheriff and correctional facilities), the health department, the public works department, emergency management and other first responders.

$1.5 million is expected to be generated from the tax by the end of 2010.

All registered Stephenson County Voters will be receiving a brochure explaining the tax and providing more information related to public safety within the next 10 days.

(Chip Brewster is available via email AND facebook... feel free to shoot him a message or friend him at any time)