The Guntersville City Council voted to increase the sales tax for the city by 1% on Monday night. That means the sales tax in Guntersville will be bumped up from 8% to 9%.
The funds from the increase will go toward capital projects throughout the city and to the school system.
Some people who live in Guntersville didn’t want an increase all, and others didn’t think it was enough. When the 1% tax increase was originally proposed, the plan was that the school system would get half a cent of every dollar after 5 years. Many people who live in the city began fighting for a 1.5% sales tax increase to benefit the school system.
Superintendent of Guntersville City Schools, Brett Stanton, said, “There’s a significant amount of immediate work that needs to be done at both Guntersville Elementary School and Cherokee Elementary School.”
The tax increase that was passed will go toward updating the schools, but because many still want to build a new high school, the idea for an ad valorem tax increase is now being tossed around.
Mayor Leigh Dollar says the other half a cent from the new tax increase will benefit other projects in the city. She says they will start with updates to the rec center and also have plans to add a new recycling center and fire station.
The new tax increase will go into effect on July 1st. Mayor Dollar says updates will come to the city as soon as the new funds start coming in.