Editorial: Yes to a half-cent

Talk about it

Worthington voters will face two tax-related questions when they go to the polls Tuesday. While one involves an ill-conceived amendment to the Minnesota Constitution, the other will have a direct benefit to this community for years to come ... and Worthingtonians won’t even have to foot the entire bill.

Studies have shown that roughly 40 percent of the money to be generated by the proposed half-cent local option sales tax — proceeds of which will help build a new community center in Worthington as well as assist with much-needed renovations at Memorial Auditorium — will come from those who live outside the city. Permission to bring forth such a proposal came from the State Legislature and is by no means guaranteed to be received again, particularly in the event of a “no” vote. When considering another option for funding these improvements — further burdening local property taxes — a reason for a “yes” vote on Nov. 4 becomes clearer.

Local leaders have related stories of events and/or conferences that have not taken place in Worthington due to the absence of a large-scale facility. Adding one will bring in these events, and in turn generate an economic boost for Worthington. Potential economic development around the proposed community center site should be considered into the equation, as well.

While the half-cent sales tax would make a new facility possible, it also helps take an existing landmark of Worthington into the modern era. Events of all types are hosted in the auditorium, and additional space as well as air conditioning will be only some of the perks enjoyed as a result of renovation.

Unfortunately, the state didn’t allow a long-needed senior center to be part of the sales tax referendum. A “yes” vote to the sales tax question, we feel, will allow the city greater leverage to pursue this project — particularly with healthy reserves from the hospital sale to borrow against. A yes vote, in short, is a vote for the future.

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