Opponents Challenge Bartlett Plan
Mayor’s foes challenge plans on tax combining public safety, streets
BY ZACK STOYCOFF World Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Mayor Dewey Bartlett and his challengers in this year’s mayoral race strongly disagree over his proposal to extend a sales tax for public safety and street operations but might find common ground on a related proposal to send an all-streets funding package to voters this November.
Bartlett has proposed generating $12 million a year for public safety manpower increases and additional street workers by extending the city’s portion of the 0.167-cent former 4 to Fix the County sales tax, which he initially proposed for a funding package that would address both streets and other capital needs at once.
He said he is now open to a new City Council proposal to split the package’s roadwork and other projects into separate elections.
But former Mayor Kathy Taylor, a leading contender in the mayoral race, called his new proposal for the 4 to Fix tax “short-sighted,” arguing that the revenue is still needed for capital projects and that operational costs can be covered by the existing operating budget.