City commission to vote on 1-cent sales tax to fund aquatics center

The Fort Scott City Commission on Tuesday will consider passing a resolution that would a proposition put on the ballot asking residents at a special election for a 1-cent sales tax increase over a 10-year period to pay for a multi-million dollar aquatics center.

The meeting will start at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 1 E. Third St.

The 1-cent tax increase will be divided up, with eight-tenths of a cent going to finance construction and operation and the other two tenths of a cent going for economic development activities.

City officials hashed out the proposal at a work session last week. They have been working with members of the Aquatics Visioning Committee in recent months to get a ballot question to voters.

A resolution is expected to be ready for the commissioners' review Tuesday, so they can consider the proposition.

The committee in February proposed a half-cent sales tax hike for 21 years to raise the needed $6.5 million to build the facility. They were going to place it on the April 3 general election ballot but reconsidered weeks later, saying they needed more time to educate the voters about the facility.

A public information meeting was held last week that revealed details about the combination indoor and outdoor water park. Additional meeting are anticipated in the coming weeks.

Other items on the agenda include the following:

* A resolution authorizing the city to submit an application to Kansas Department of Transportation for the USD 234 schools to use the "safe routes to school" program.

* A zoning change at 517 Clark St, to be changed from single family to multiple family.