Waite Park Holding Meeting on Proposed Sales Tax Friday

(KNSI) – Waite Park will take questions on its proposed half-cent sales tax to fund a new public safety center and connecting recreational trails. Waite Park’s sales tax stands at 7.625%. If approved, it would climb to 8.125%.

Officials are asking for an additional 0.5% sales tax to collect $20 million to cover a new police and fire department headquarters and $7.5 million to connect regional trails such as the Glacial Lakes State Trail and the Lake Wobegon Trail. The proposal is broken into two questions, and voters can approve one, both or neither.

The tax would generate around $1.5 million a year. The tax would be collected for 19 years or until the bonds are paid off. Waite Park Administrator Shaunna Johnson says that using sales tax to pay for the projects helps spread the burden.

“We’re a community of just about 8,800 but, we have a daytime population of 30,000. So, our needs really reflect more of that regional nature.”

She says the city has a lot of people who come to the town for work. The police department has grown from 13 to 22 officers in the last 18 years to deal with its growing population.

Johnson says the majority of people causing a problem and putting a strain on police in the community are outsiders.

“Eighty percent of the sales tax that is collected in Waite Park comes from outside of the community and ironically, 80% of the individuals that our police department arrest come from outside of the city as well.”

She says that means $21 million of the proposed sales tax would be paid for by people who live outside Waite Park. Jonson says the community’s needs won’t change even if the proposals are voted down.

“This is really just asking to be able to utilize sales tax. The needs for public safety and the regional trail connections are projects that we’re going to have to address irregardless of whether or not it’s sales tax or other types of funding sources.”

The meeting is Friday at 10:00 a.m. at the Community Park Pavillion, 151 13th Avenue North. Mayor Rick Miller, Johnson and Police Chief David Bentrud will give a presentation and answer any questions.

The general election is on November 8th.

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