OGLESBY – LaSalle County Finance chairman Brian Dose gave a presentation to residents on a public safety sales tax referendum, Thursday. Illinois Valley Community College’s presentation room was packed with board members for a presentation that was given to inform the public as to why they should vote in favor of the public safety sales tax. Brian Dose says some of the county’s driving factors in pushing for the tax comes from the collapse of Equalized Assessed Value and Tax Increment Finance Districts. After the EAV collapse in 2010, Dose says it handicapped the county’s ability to raise revenue. He also said, we would’t have this problem if it weren’t for TIF districts. Outside of Cook County, LaSalle has the most TIF districts in the state, diverting 1.9 million dollars a year. Sheriff Tomas Templeton spoke in favor of the public safety tax, noting that if public services aren’t funded, law enforcement will be cut short. Dose says every department in LaSalle County has made cuts, leaving no other option than to cut payroll. If the referendum is passed, sales tax would increase .25 percent from 6.5 to 6.75 percent.
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