Citizen Survey: Would You Support a Higher Sales Tax for Roads and Bridges in Corinth?
By Josh Mitchell on January 23, 2016
Corinth Today spoke with citizens downtown Saturday and asked them if they would support paying a higher sales tax to improve roads and bridges in the city of Corinth.
Corinth Mayor Tommy Irwin would like voters to have the chance to decide whether they would support a quarter-cent sales tax increase to improve three major thoroughfares in the city– Shiloh Road, Harper Road and half of Tate Street.
Once the improvements were paid for the sales tax increase would cease, the mayor said. Below are citizens’ responses to whether they would support a sales tax increase for road and bridge improvements:
Would you support paying a higher sales tax to improve roads and bridges in the city of Corinth?
Lucy Hale, Alcorn County: “We live in the county, but yes I would (support paying a higher sales tax to improve roads and bridges). Corinth has a lot to offer, but when you have all the potholes it kind of turns off people. We’re not from here, and we’ve had guests from Florida and Tennessee and Louisiana and we like to show them around, but the potholes are very unattractive. (If the sales tax increase stopped once the projects were paid for I would support paying a little more).”
Tommy Leatherwood, Alcorn County: “Sure. I believe we need it. If it’s something we need, then we have to pay for it. Tourism is one (reason it’s important to improve roads and bridges). But just living around here and having to drive on old roads and spooky bridges is something we need to get rid of.”
Moon Mullins, Corinth: “I doubt that (I would be willing to do that).”
Billy Taylor, Alcorn County: “I would because we’re in desperate need of road repair in the city and in the county. You can’t get it for free.”
Billy Lipford, Corinth: “It depends on how high. (I would support a quarter-cent increase). Our roads in and around Corinth are in bad shape.”
David Hale, Alcorn County: “The problem is though there’s no tax that ever is eliminated. So if you say you’re for the tax, which I am for what they want, but just understand no matter what the mayor says it’s never going away. Taxes never die. Absolutely, (I would support paying a higher sales tax to improve roads and bridges in the city). But again, just be aware once you vote it in, it never goes away … As long as it’s well used, I don’t have a problem at all.”
Sue Beech: “I would probably do that, yes. We’ve got quite a few streets and roads that need quite a bit of improvement. I know that’s an expensive thing so I would support that.”
I would not, I would however support our elected officials to be more responsible with the money they have. As a grand-parent not having children in the school system, a side note: my children and my grandchildren were and are all home schooled, I would say that the public schools should be removed from receiving tax dollars, if your student attends the public school, they should pay tuition, there tax bill would be less. A much lower portion of the tax dollars that went to the school system could then go towards the roads and bridges.
Corinth Today spoke with citizens downtown Saturday and asked them if they would support paying a higher sales tax to improve roads and bridges in the city of Corinth.
I would not, I would however support our elected officials to be more responsible with the money they have. As a grand-parent not having children in the school system, a side note: my children and my grandchildren were and are all home schooled, I would say that the public schools should be removed from receiving tax dollars, if your student attends the public school, they should pay tuition, there tax bill would be less. A much lower portion of the tax dollars that went to the school system could then go towards the roads and bridges.