The county's sheriff's department was recently forced to lay off more than 20 law enforcement officials, including several deputies who patrol Freeport streets. In order to hire them back, voters must approve a 0.5% sales tax increase, which would bring the tax up to 1%. The extra revenue would bring in more than a million dollars to the county.
"We find that our only alternative right now to improve the revenue stream is to ask the public to increase the public safety sales tax," says Stephenson County Board Chairman John Blum.
If approved, the tax would cost us about $25 for every $5000 we spend.