Spavinaw voters have option of two sales tax rates for police

Voters in Spavinaw will have a choice of two possible sales tax increases to support the local police department, on a May 13th election.

The Town Board suggested a 0.25% dedicated sales tax to subsidize Spavinaw Police, but Mayor Amanda Miller said citizens asked for the option of a larger tax to better support the one-officer, part-time police force.

"We first proposed a quarter-cent sales tax and some citizens came forward and said, 'We think you should raise it higher'," said Miller.

The board set an election with two options:

a 0.25% increase belowOr a 0.25% increase Or a 1.0% increase, with a corresponding resolution that if only one, or both pass, only the higher tax would take effect. The resolutions also end the tax after 10 years.

Miller said the town of about 400 citizens, with an annual revenue of about $115,000 per year, is slowly losing ground to rising costs. If both options for the tax fail, Mayor Miller said, "Then we will continue to operate as we can, but prices continue to go up and costs go up. Our officer has only committed to another year of service in the town, and he makes $18 an hour as the police chief."