To the editor,
Soon the City Council will be asking for a sales tax increase. This will be the fourth opportunity to ask the community their preference on a library location, midtown or downtown. This rejection of public input is 100 percent on city leadership. The library board has been more than patient as they strive to spend appropriately.
City leaders plan to include water projects in the sales tax proposal, citing the need to be competitive for industry. The projected 2022 city industrial water rate without the sales tax is $4.96/1,000 gallons. The current industrial rate in East Grand Forks is $6.30-$8.10/1,000 gallons. In West Fargo it is $7.00/1,000 gallons. Fargo is projected to be between $4.92-4.23/1,000 gallons, depending on usage, in 2022.
Dare I say it: vibrant, progressive communities do not use a regressive sales tax to fund their water costs.
One-half percent, 10 years, named street projects only; and it will pass. Include water and it will fail again. "Simply" stated, asking visitors and county residents to pay for our water is not a "Grand" idea. And settle the dang location for the library. Please.
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C.T. Marhula
Grand Forks
