The Monroe County Council met Tuesday night to discuss and offer input for a proposed interlocal agreement between Monroe County and the city of Bloomington that will act as a guide for how money
collected through the proposed food and beverage tax would be used. “One of the primary positions that I wanted to make clear in this document was that if there is bonding taken out to build a structure, that the bond
repayment is the top priority,” said Michael Flory, county council attorney. State legislation passed in 2009 allows the county council to implement a 1 percent food and beverage tax on items purchased in restaurants and bars. It excludes grocery store purchases.
The legislation outlines how the tax money should be used — to fund a convention or conference center, or other tourism activity — and how the money should be divided — food and beverage tax revenue raised in the city goes to the city, and all other money raised in the county goes to the county.
The state would capture the tax and then redistribute it to the city and county, easing the burden on both county staff and restaurant owners. An interlocal agreement could provide guidance for some of the details not addressed in the state legislation. Making sure the money gets to the convention center, despite the legislation splitting it into two separate funds, was one of the bigger concerns.
“My goal for any agreement between the city and the county is to simulate as much as possible the idea that this is one pot,” said Monroe County Council President Geoff McKim. “I think the agreement needs to be oriented with working together, not each of us doing our own thing.”
A vote of confidence in the project from the city, and spoken commitment from the city to fund the convention center expansion, would be nice, said Marty Hawk, county council member.
“We know the city’s going to be the major benefiter,” Hawk said. “I would certainly suggest that the city step forward and take a vote in a public meeting, in a public comment, whether or not they support this.”
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http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2013/04/24/news.guide-for-use-of-food-tax-dollars-shaping-up.sto
