Letter: Half-cent tax allows others to share in cost

Talk about it

I do not remember a time when the taxpayers (property owners) in the city limits of Worthington have had an opportunity to ask those who live out of town, visitors, and those who rent houses and apartments in town help pay for projects in the city of Worthington.

Under normal circumstances, it is the property owners/taxpayers in Worthington who would pay the total bill through increased property taxes.

Some say, let’s use the hospital money. Please remember the Worthington Regional Hospital was built, maintained and operated by the city of Worthington and supported by hospital income and property taxes, if necessary. If the hospital had a shortfall, it would have been the property owners/taxpayers that would have been on the hook. The hospital money should be reserved for projects that only the property owners/taxpayer must support at 100 percent.

The half-cent sales tax increase will allow others to share 40 percent of the cost of an event center and improvements to Memorial Auditorium.

Tags: opinion, half-cent, salestax, communitycenter, worthington, eventscenter, memorialauditorium