Iowans value their communities and the county in which they live.  They are willing to pay a few more pennies in sales tax to be used by their towns and county to improve roads, rescue and fire services, and town infrastructure improvements.  Each county has the right to put a  Local Option Sales Tax on the ballot and the specifics of how the money is to be used is spelled out on the ballot.  Local Option Sales Tax is local control of local money for the betterment of towns and the county at its best.

     Clayton County passed the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST).  According to the Clayton Co. Auditor, the county collects about 1 million dollars.  The county uses 85% for roads and 15% for rural development and betterment.

     Now, that local money and local control is being threatened by the Republican controlled legislature’s Senate Study Bill 1125.  SSB 1125 would eliminate the counties’ Local Option Sales Tax and increase the state sales tax to 7%.  Then the state would determine how to use the extra 1% sales tax they collect.

     Even though the state may have grand plans for the 1% increase in its receipts, it takes away local control and local services.  The Iowa legislature wants to lure rural residents with thoughts of lower tax bills for Iowa property owners, but the elimination of the Local Option Sales Tax will create a budget shortfall in Clayton County that can only be made up by the elimination of services or increased property taxes.

     Call or email State Senator Mike Klimesh  and State House Representative Anne Osmundson and tell them to vote NO on removing the 1% Local Option Sales Tax. Taking away local control and removing services from local rural residents is bad business.

Senator Mike Klemesh at 515-281-3371 or mike.klemesh@legis.iowa.gov

Anne Osmundson, 515-281-3221 or anne.osmundson@legis.iowa.gov