Opposed to tax hike? Tell your aldermen

At its meeting last week, Vandalia's aldermen were presented with a proposal to put on the November general election a public vote for an increase of one-half of one percent in the local sales tax.
The city is seeking the increase to cover its share of contributions to the police pension fund, saying that in the current year, $50,000 was pulled from the general fund to meet that obligation.
Aldermen supporting the hike say that this is a way of avoiding an increase in property taxes, and that those people coming to Vandalia – either as regular shoppers or tourists – will help boost the city coffers. They maintain that this is a more fair way of generating needed money.
How do you feel about the proposal? Do you, as resident Grace Thull states in a letter to the editor on this page, think there are other ways to fund the city's share of the police pension fund?
If so, now is the time to speak up, to let your aldermen know your feelings. You have only a few days to make your opinion known, as the city council plans to vote on the issue at a special meeting next Monday night.
Mayor Rick Gottman said the vote was postponed in order to hear from local business people and residents; now is the time to provide that feedback.
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