Ritter: Get informed about Franklin County referendum

Now comes the sales pitch.
Races for school boards and city councils will be scattered up and down the ballot in Franklin County this April, but no issue is expected to receive quite the attention that will be showered on the county's proposed referendum to fund construction of a new courthouse. Your money is caught up in this debate.
In the weeks ahead, it will be imperative for voters to get informed about the issue. To that end, informational meetings are being planned all around the county, including one March 7 at the Benton Civic Center.
The question itself reads as follows: "To pay for public facility purposes, the construction of a new Franklin County Courthouse, shall the County of Franklin be authorized to impose an increase on the share of local sales taxes by one percent (1%) for a period of not to exceed 20 years?"
Without a doubt, there are plenty of reasons to support building a new courthouse. The current facility on the Benton Public Square, originally built nearly a century and a half ago, has become grossly outdated. Costs to maintain it are increasing, and it also lacks proper access for people with disabilities. Crowded courtrooms, problems maintaining proper separation between accused criminals and victims, and outdated windows and electricity are only a few of the other issues adding to the courthouse's well-documented woes.
Yet despite all of this, passage of the referendum is far from a sure thing. Two years ago, voters rejected a far smaller increase for maintenance of the current courthouse. Now, voters are being asked to fund a brand-new, $20 million facility, even as the county continues renovations for new county offices in the Campbell Building at a cost of around $500,000.
Also, if approved, the measure would make sales taxes in several Franklin County communities among the highest in southern Illinois. While the increase would raise the county's overall sales tax rate to 8.25 percent, the sales tax for Benton would climb to 9.5 percent. Carbondale, which has the highest sales tax in the area, stands at 9.75 percent following passage of a 1 percent school facilities sales tax approved in November. Marion currently assesses 8.5 percent, while Mt. Vernon takes 8.25 percent.
The argument has been made that much of this tax might be paid by I-57 travelers, and there surely is some truth to that. But voters still have a lot of information to weigh in the coming weeks.
Make it a point to get informed. Meetings will be taking place throughout the county to address the issue. Listen carefully to the sales pitch before making your decision about the sales tax.