From the Bloomington Herald-Times:
A food and beverage tax could be in place as early as June, if the Monroe County Council sticks to its plan. The Monroe County Council discussed the steps that would need to be taken to implement a food and beverage tax at a work session Tuesday night, setting a possible vote for June 11. The calendar, which was presented by council President Geoff McKim, proposed the first presentation of the tax and the interlocal agreement with the city of Bloomington be given to the council on April 23. The first public hearing on the tax would take place on May 14, and the second hearing and possible vote would be on June 11. “I feel like this legislative calendar balances both the need to move forward at a reasonable pace, but it gives both the public and the councilors time to ask questions and solicit comment,” McKim said. State legislation authorizes Monroe County to implement a 1 percent food and beverage tax on food and beverages purchased in restaurants and bars in order to fund a convention center, conference center or other tourism-related activity. The tax would not apply to food purchased in grocery stores. It is estimated that the tax could raise about $2.5 million for the expansion and operation of the Bloomington/Monroe County Convention Center. According to the proposed ordinance, taxes collected within the city of Bloomington would go to the city, and taxes collected in all other areas of the county, including Ellettsville and Stinesville, would go to the county. Some council members raised concerns about how the money is distributed and used between the county and the city. ... See the full article here:
http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2013/03/27/news.schedule-set-for-food-and-beverage-tax-debate.sto
