Scott County sales tax vote delayed amid resident confusion

The Scott County Board is holding off on approving a half-cent transportation sales tax, opting to spend more time informing the public about it.

The board has spent about two years considering the tax, and staff members have laid out a list of roadway projects that could benefit from the revenue.

The plan was for the board to vote April 21 on whether to implement the tax. But some commissioners said they could use a bit more time, after hearing from community members who aren't clear on how the tax will work.

"Even those that pay attention to what's going on in their communities and in Scott County have come back with 'I didn't know that,' " Commissioner Barbara Marschall said at the meeting.

To remedy this, the board is planning outreach efforts to town boards, city councils, chambers of commerce and other local groups. Board Chairman Jon Ulrich said he expects the process to last a few months.

"It will take a while," he said.

The board approved the delay 4-1, with Commissioner Joe Wagner opposing. The tax has been on the table for a long time, he said, and he doesn't think there's anything more to communicate about it.

Once the tax goes into effect, the county can use the funds for specific transportation projects.

Staff members have recommended 13 projects located throughout the county. Most are on Highways 13 and 169, in and around Shakopee, Savage and Prior Lake.

Deputy County Administrator Lezlie Vermillion said she doesn't expect the vote delay to impact any of the planned projects — none of which would begin construction for at least a few years. The tax could generate about $6 million annually. It will sunset once the list of projects is completed, though that could be decades from now.

For the time being, the consensus among board members is that it's worth slowing down to make sure that the community is on board with the change.

The most important piece of information for the public to know, Ulrich said, is that needed road projects can be funded either with the property tax levy — placing 100 percent of the cost on residents — or through the sales tax, which would place a portion of the cost on visitors.

"That's quite a large contribution," Ulrich said.