COUNCIL VOTES AGAINST ROLLING BACK PAYROLL TAX

            HOPKINSVILLE CITY COUNCIL VOTED 6-TO-5 AGAINST LOWERING THE PAYROLL TAX AT ITS MEETING TUESDAY NIGHT.

            COUNCIL MEMBERS PATRICIA BELL, PHILIP BROOKS, FRED ATKINS, KIMBERLY MC-CARLEY, PEGGY EVERETT AND MARBY SCHLEGEL WANTED THE RATE TO REMAIN AT 1-POINT-9-5 PERCENT INSTEAD OF ROLLING IT BACK FIVE ONE HUNDRETHS OF A PERCENTAGE POINT.

            COUNCILMEN PAUL HENSON AND CHARLIE HENDERSON WERE AMONG THOSE VOICING THEIR DESIRE TO GO THROUGH WITH A ROLLBACK PROMISED SEVERAL YEARS AGO ONCE THE ECONOMY IMPROVED.

            COUNCIL MEMBER SCHLEGEL SAID SHE’S CONCERNED THE ECONOMY MAY NOT IMPROVE AS MUCH NEXT YEAR AS IT HAS RECENTLY.

            COUNCIL MEMBER ANN CHERRY WAS IN FAVOR OF THE ROLLBACK AT THE LAST COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING, BUT WAS NOT PRESENT TO VOTE NIGHT DUE TO ATTENDING A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETING.

            COUNCIL DID NOT VOTE ON THE HIGHER RATE AND WILL HAVE TO VOTE AGAIN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER AT ITS NEXT MEETING.

            THE PROPERTY TAX RATE WAS LEFT THE SAME WITH NO DISCUSSION AND ON A UNANIMOUS VOTE.

            PLANNING DIRECTOR STEVE BOURNE TOLD COUNCIL CODELL CONSTRUSCTION CAME IN WITH THE LOWEST BIDS FOR MANAGING THE DOWNTOWN CITY HALL PROJECTS.

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