Hidden costs in sales tax ordinance

To the editor:

I have waded through all 41 pages of the proposed tax ordinance that will be on the Tuesday ballot and my opinion is that this ordinance is bad news for the citizens and businesses of the borough, thus, I will be voting against it. The ordinance will add an extra layer of time consuming accounting to every business, whether tiny or large, across the borough that will without a doubt raise the cost of all private sector goods and services as the cost of doing business increases. We won’t just be paying the sales tax, but increased cost on top of it. On the borough end, I would love to hear the plan for administering this ordinance as it couldn’t possibly be feasible to do it within the current borough budget. Our borough is the size of Rhode Island and has a myriad of businesses from one end to the other. To accomplish all the tasks listed in the ordinance, at the very least additional staffing will be necessary and most likely a department will be created. Hence our borough government grows and more cost is added. The ordinance will certainly diversify revenue sources but there will be a large price tag attached. Any perceived savings for homeowners quickly disappears in the bigger picture. I encourage everyone to read the ordinance for themselves and to send our assembly back to the drawing board with a resounding “No” vote.

Rhonda Stark

Palmer