ELKO: A committee of business people has announced its support of a proposed quarter-cent sales tax increase for Elko County.
The Elko Area Chamber Government Affairs Committee released its opinion on the issue to Chamber members on Thursday.
“We agree with proponents of the increase that the County does not have enough money to provide for the ongoing safety of our firefighters, the vast majority of whom are volunteers,” the committee stated.
The committee also said the county has done well maximizing efficiency on maintaining roads, but the limit has been reached.
“We understand the situation the county is in and think if there has to be an increase, then this is going to be the best bang for your buck,” co-chair Matt McCarty told the Free Press.
Prior to announcing their support, he and other committee members learned of the county’s current budget and road situation from commissioners Delmo Andreozzi and Glen Guttry. McCarty encourages local business representatives to attend Wednesday’s County Commission meeting to share their opinions.
“We hope that commissioners will seriously consider the input coming in and make the best decision for the county and its citizens, regardless of political ideology,” he said.
The county took control of its fire protection July 1, according to state mandates. Some of the equipment currently in use is from the Korean War era, the committee stated. There is a shortage of funding for capital expenses.
“We realize our business members need to have an assumption of fire protection whether they’re in the city or not,” McCarty said.
