For quite some time now officials in the City of Centre have been discussing numerous ways to better provide services for the residents for the city.
During Tuesday’s meeting of the Centre City Council, Mayor Tony Wilkie outlined a ten year plan for the city; Mayor Wilkie remarked that in order for the city to be able to do the projects that are in need of completion the city must have additional revenue.
Wilkie stated that no one wants to hear ‘new tax’ but in this situation there would have to be a new tax enacted. Wilkie said that he wants input from the constituents and council members as to whether the city needs to move forward with a possible one cent sales tax increase.
This tax would not have to be voted on by the citizens but Wilkie said that he certainly wants to know if the residents are in favor of the measure or if the city should simply continue to operate as they have for several years and drop the idea all together.
Mayor Wilkie laid out the projects on his ten year plan which include the following;
- Complete the renovation of the armory building
- Construct a new city pool
- Construction of four new tennis courts
- Purchase of land for a new Industrial Park
- Construction of a new City Amphitheatre
- Downtown city revitalization
- Construction of a storm shelter
- City access to Weiss Lake for recreational use
- Training center for the police & fire department
- New roof on the police department building
- Purchase of a new fire truck
- Possible construction of a new fire station
- Six full-time Firefighters
- Additional renovations at the JFK Building
Mayor Wilkie said that he wants the citizens to hear about these issues and wants to know whether you as residents are in favor of or against this plan. The mayor said that if residents want a town hall meeting to discuss the issue he and council members would be more than willing to set that up.
Currently the City of Centre receives 1 ½ cents on the dollar.
If you would like to further discuss this matter with your council representative or the mayor, you can call Centre City Hall at 256-927-5222.
