PRINCETON, Illinois — Voters in Bureau County decided to allow a public safety tax.
A proposal on the ballot asked voters if they wanted to impose .5% tax on purchases at retail stores. Voters decided they did with 56% saying “yes” and 44% saying “no.”
The tax is to build a law enforcement center and jail, renovating a recently purchased county building on Ace Road and Princeton.
Any purchases like groceries, cars, medicine, and other medical materials would not be taxed. The tax will last a maximum of 20 years, but could be cut early if voters decided.
The referendum said:
“Shall Bureau County be authorized to impose a public safety tax at the rate of one-half percent on purchases of personal property at retail? The tax collected will be used to build a law enforcement center and jail. It is the intention of the board to renovate the recently purchased county building located at 800 Ace Road, Princeton, Illinois for this project.
This tax will not include sales of vehicles, groceries, prescription and non-prescription medicines, medical devices and medical materials. If the tax is imposed, a consumer would pay an additional 50-cents for every $100 of taxable personal property purchased at retail. The additional tax would cease being collected at the end of twenty years from inception, if not terminated earlier by a vote of the County Board.”
