By Jim Hagerty
Staff Writer

It was all about generating revenue at the Monday, Jan. 10, meeting of the Rockford City Council, as aldermen voted to place the 1 percentage-point sales tax referendum on the April 5 ballot.

The 12-1 vote now gives city officials two months to champion voters to keep the sales tax increase, which would continue to be used for road and other infrastructure improvements.

Voters approved the sales tax increase in 2007, which raised the tax from 7.25 percent to 8.25 percent.

The increase is a five-year agreement and is scheduled to expire in 2012.

However, aldermen said waiting another year could hamper efforts to educate voters on how the dollars have been spent.

“If we got started now, we could educate people well on what we have done with the money that they’ve allowed us to have the last four years,” Ald. Nancy Johnson (D-8) said. “We were good stewards of their money, and we did what we promised we’d do.”

Since the referendum passed almost four years ago, approximately $45 million has been invested in public improvements. Coupled with state and federal subsidies, city officials said the measure has been successful.

“It’s been one of the bright spots in what’s been a somewhat dour economy,” City Administrator Jim Ryan said.

Ald. Venita Hervey (D-5) questioned the increase, citing that up to 30 percent of sales taxes are collected from visitors and those who live in neighboring cities.

The lone vote against placing the sales tax increase referendum on the April ballot came from Ald. Linda McNeely (D-13).

If voters vote for the referendum, the city’s sales tax would remain at 8.25 percent until June 30, 2017.

No vote was taken on a proposal to give city snowplow operators authority to write snow emergency parking tickets after a Codes and Regulations Committee meeting.

The proposal was brought to the council by Public Works Director Tim Hanson and, if approved, would allow plow drivers to cite drivers for disregarding odd-even parking rules when ordinances are in force.

Aldermen agreed to delay the vote until next week.

The council did vote 12-1 to deny a special-use permit sought by Total Health and Awareness, which wants to continue running a needle exchange out of a Midtown District storefront.

The exchange was operating out of a retail space on the 200 block of Seventh Street.

Officials said they will find another way to continue the program, which they claim helps spread disease.

“All of this exposure has wasted taxpayer dollars for something that we do to protect you, that must be here,” Total Health and Awareness official J Bryan Latham said. “The only thing I have ever asked is to be left alone and let us do what we do.”

The organization plans to continue operating on a mobile basis, reps said.

The Rockford City Council meets in open session every Monday at 6 p.m. Meetings are in Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall, downtown.