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Sales tax increase proposed to help Chelsea school

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After several months spent studying the state of the schools, Mayor Tony Picklesimer and the City Council proposed a one cent sales tax increase for the city as a measure to create additional funding.

Council members Tiffany Bittner and Scott Weygand recently spent time gathering facts and meeting with administration from three of the Chelsea schools to find out their needs. The overwhelming results showed that lack of funding for ancillary projects is a significant problem across the board.

If the sales tax increase is approved, the money would go into a separate account designated for school purposes and could only be spent with the approval of the city council. The mayor said he and the council are representative of the people of Chelsea and they want their input on this proposal.

“We want to hear what the citizens of Chelsea think,” said Mayor Picklesimer. “We want to hear from our citizens and parents of students who attend our schools and the people who do business here in Chelsea. We will have a public hearing at our next city council meeting on July 16 and everyone who wants to speak can do so. Once the council hears what the citizens say, we will decide whether or not to put it on the agenda for August 6 to be voted on.”

For the 2018-19 school year, the council gave $125,000 to the schools, an in addition, funded projects including a new restroom at the middle school sports complex, an additional car drop off lane at the middle school and are currently paying 25% of the cost of the new multipurpose building at Chelsea High School.

“We have demonstrated as a city over the years that the schools are very important to us,” Picklesimer said. “Since I have been on city council, we have given over $2 million to our schools. This includes a $500,000 donation to Forest Oaks Elementary so they could have a gymnasium rather than a play area.”

The mayor said the reason he isn’t doing a property tax instead is because of the promise he made during his campaign. He said he would only do that for a major project such as forming a police department or the city’s own school system, and since neither are on the horizon, now is not the time.

“Primarily, the reason I can’t support property taxes for our schools is because 40% of the students don’t live in the city limits of Chelsea,” he said. “It’s not fair for Chelsea residents to pay property tax for students living outside the city limits.”

Most of the surrounding cities already have a 10% sales tax, so this would bring Chelsea up to par with them. The expected revenue from the one cent sales tax increase would be $125,000 per month and $1.5 million per year.

Also at Tuesday night’s meeting, during pre-council Mayor Picklesimer said the Big Kaboom held last Saturday was a roaring success and attendance estimates are around 7,000. Next year’s event will be held on June 27, 2020.

Chelsea High School junior Parker Bedsole presented his Eagle Scout project building three flag retirement boxes to be placed at the Chelsea Fire Stations to provide a place people can properly dispose of their flags. Until the third fire station opens, one box will remain at City Hall.

Leah Ingram Eagle

Resolutions approved include:

The next city council meeting, during which the public hearing will take place, will be Tuesday, July 16 at 6 p.m.

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