Voters in the town of Craig got another chance to vote on the continuation of the one percent local options sales tax in Tuesday’s election after just two people voted in August — and both were against the measure. Twenty-four of the 80 residents voted Tuesday and the tax extension passed with an 86-percent margin.
Resident Connie DeBoom says they were surprised last time to learn two people decided the issue. “I guess a lot of us weren’t aware of this vote, but being an ex-city clerk, I know that the funds help the town out a lot and I’m all for having the local option sales tax for the city of Craig,” DeBoom. She says in the last election voters were asked to cast their vote at Brunsville instead of a polling location at Craig and DeBoom believes that may have contributed to its defeat.
DeBoom says the people of Craig deserve to get the money. “If we got to Le Mars…you are paying the local option sales tax, so why not take advantage of getting some of these funds?,” DeBoom says. Craig has received approximately $9,000 per year, or about $750 per month in local options sales tax revenues. DeBoom says the figure may seem small to other communities, but for Craig, it means a lot.
(Reporting by Dennis Morrice, KLEM, Le Mars)