Whether or not to build is not on next week's ballot. The nominal sales tax increase would supplement higher user fees for both commercial and residential Ottawa customers. User fees will increase no matter what. The only question is how much. The initial payment would reduce the amount of additional tax dollars required to pay for the plant.
Ottawa residents are likley to support the sales tax increase to help ease the financial crunch.
Of all the methods of taxing, a sales tax is one of the most palatable, since it is easy to disguise among daily must-have purchases. Rural residents of Franklin County, who have already paid for their own personal septic system or a sewer system in their hometown, may believe they shouldn't be expected to help pay for Ottawa's new sewer plant. We understand why they might feel that way, but rural residents share in Ottawa's bounty and can help shoulder a small portion of the expense too. Rural residents, as well as city dwellers, benefit from toilets and sinks that flush or drain properly at local restaurants, medical facilities and retail stores. The down side is that a sales tax increase, while modest, may prevent any other sales tax increases from being approved by voters.