After an all-day meeting and much discussion, members of the Transformation steering committee set a preliminary list of priority projects and indicated support for a potential 10-year half-cent sales tax to fund projects.
As part of the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce's economic development strategic plan, "Transformation," members of the steering committee met at Providence Bank on Wednesday.
When the meeting turned to funding options, steering committee members were able to vote on four options: a quarter-cent sales tax for five years, a quarter-cent sales tax for 10 years, a half-cent sales tax for five years or a half-cent sales tax for 10 years. Members were not given a "no tax" option.
The first vote on tax options showed 55 percent in favor of a half-cent, 10-year sales tax, but after much discussion, another vote on that option rose to 86 percent in favor.
The 10-year half-cent sales tax is projected to bring in $41,167,196 for project funding. All 40 packages presented at the meeting would cost about $62,606,500.
Any sales tax would need to be sponsored by the city or county to put to voters.