City Council plans sales tax meetings

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The city's additional one and a half percent local sales tax is scheduled to expire in 2018 and the McCook City Council is wasting no time in beginning the renewal process, scheduling two town hall meetings for May.

Councilors said a 23 month waiting period was required to follow any voter-rejected attempts and indicated during last weeks regular meeting they would like to have at least two opportunities to renew the revenue stream.

Mayor Dennis Berry tasked city staff with developing a summary of items the city had funded with the additional local tax. Councilors subsequently approved scheduling the town hall meetings at 7 p.m. on May 6 and 5:30 p.m. on May 15 at the new Municipal Facility.

The meetings will provide opportunities for citizens to discuss the future and past use of local sales tax revenue, as well as assist city staff in developing a framework for how a new sales tax would be structured.

Among the possibilities, council members indicated they would need to decide whether or not to include a sunset option on the sales tax going forward.

The city's additional one percent sales tax will sunset on Oct. 1, 2018, and their 1/2 percent sales tax will sunset on July 1, 2018.