With the term coming to a close, it is no surprise that the Local Option Sales Tax has taken center stage at nearly every meeting of the Mahaska County Board of Supervisors. The passion regarding the potential benefitting projects, however, has made the subject incredibly intense.
Monday morning was no different, as the Supervisors met for their final regularly scheduled meeting of 2015.
A large crowd congregated in the Third Floor Conference Room at the Mahaska County Courthouse, awaiting the Board’s reaction to two separate petitions that were brought into the Auditor’s Office last week. As the item was brought up on the agenda, the Board quickly acted on the first of these petitions, which had more signatures. This petition outlined the Recreation and Early Childcare Facility, Secondary Roads, and the Environmental Learning Center as the three priorities. A second, smaller petition was also brought to the Supervisors, and it did not include the Recreation and Early Childcare Facility. The vote was unanimous that the Local Option Sales Tax will be renewed for an undefined term. Nothing more, nothing less, as the petition does not require specific action to be made.
The Supervisors then set May 3rd as the date for the special election, which allows the proper number of days for the public to be aware of the language of the election.
Vice-Chair Willie Van Weelden stated that the large crowd came to hear some discussion on the issue, and Chair Mark Doland and Supervisor Mike VanderMolen agreed, and they set aside that for the public comments portion of the meeting.
As the public comments began, Mark Willett (pictured), who delivered the larger petition to the courthouse last week, spoke about the numbers. There were 864 signatures gathered in 7 days. Of those signatures, 63 percent were from inside Oskaloosa city limits, 28 percent were from unincorporated communities, and 9 percent came from the other incorporated communities within Mahaska County.
Willett echoed Van Weelden’s message that there was no intent for the issue to become a “City vs. County” ordeal, referring to the city needing the facility, and the county needing work done on the rural roads.
Chair Mark Doland then stated it was an “insult” that the county would put 50 percent of its tax towards the facility, which was the language used in the petition. Doland said this was a prime opportunity to address the secondary roads in Mahaska County, and as long as he is on the Board, that would be his stance.
County Engineer Dave Shanahan, who oversees the Secondary Roads Department, also chimed in, reiterating the county’s need for upgrading the rural roads.
Following that exchange, 14 residents then spoke to the Supervisors about their thoughts on the issue. Of the residents that spoke, six residents spoke in favor of the facility, six spoke in favor of secondary roads, one spoke in favor of the Environmental Learning Center, and one had a few questions regarding the process to the Board.
Among those in favor of the facility was a resident who was reading a letter of support from the entirety of Cargill Meat Solutions in Eddyville and Joe Crookham, President and Founder of Musco Lighting. Among the statements, Crookham called the project something that made an investment into the growth of the county.
The secondary roads were represented by farmers who live in the country. The general notion was that the roads are not safe for travel, and without work being done, could end in tragedy.
Following over an hour of discussion, the Board adjourned the meeting, and the discussion will continue into the first meeting of 2016.
That meeting is scheduled for January 4th at 9 AM in the Mahaska County Courthouse in Oskaloosa.