Beware of New Sales Tax increase on April Ballot

A Message from Kurt Prenzler about Sales Tax on the April Ballot

Many people have been asking me two questions:

a. Is the 1% sales tax on the Apr. 4 ballot?

and

b. How can we oppose it?

First, YES. It’s on the ballot. School boards representing more than 51 percent of students have voted to put it on the Madison County ballot.

By the way, this new 1% sales tax is also on the St. Clair County ballot.

Second, two campaign committees have been formed to oppose these tax increases.

You may send contributions to these committees:

Madison County Citizens for Educational Sustainability

c/o Doug Matthews, CPA, Treasurer

35 Glenwood Drive

Glen Carbon, IL 62034

St. Clair County Citizens for Educational Sustainability

c/o Andrew Howard, Treasurer

1003 Cherokee St., Apt. A

Collinsville, IL 62234

Your contributions are needed to counter the false and misleading ad campaign that will be funded by investment bankers, unions and companies that will benefit from higher taxes.

This 1 percent sales tax is estimated to be $23 million per year in Madison County.

To put that in perspective, total real estate taxes collected for all of Madison County government was $33.4 million last year.

But the untold story is that this new sales tax could put taxpayers $300 million in debt.

Please watch this 2-minute video:

These committees need money to counter the false and misleading statements that we are sure to come.

The investment bankers will say, “The new sales tax money will be used to reduce property taxes.”

Listen carefully:

Regardless of how the school boards currently say they intend to use their portion of the $23 million, remember this: it is their ‘stated intentions’ only.

This year’s school board cannot legally bind any future school board to such intentions.  Once this would pass any school board in Madison County can change their intended use of these tax the very next day.”

In 2011, pro-tax forces spent $64,000 to push this new tax in Madison County.

$55,000 came from outside the county, from investment bankers whose business is to issue bonds, construction companies and unions. Only $9,000 came from donors inside Madison County.

It’s all about issuing hundreds of millions of dollars of bonds.

The investment bankers will pocket millions in fees and bonuses.

The taxpayers will be left deep in debt.

In 2011, my role was to help raise money to get the message out, and we raised $30,000 from local taxpayers.

It takes money to fight higher taxes.

If you want to support the committees that have organized to oppose the 1 percent sales tax, please mail a check to the addresses above.

Of course you are also welcome to contribute to my campaign fund.

The work continues, and it takes money.

You may donate online or mail a check to Citizens for Kurt Prenzler, 2701 Falcon Crest Drive, Edwardsville, IL 62025.

This e-mail service is paid for by Citizens for Kurt Prenzler.

A copy of our report is filed with the State Board of Elections, and is

available for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois.

Contributions or gifts to Citizens for Kurt Prenzler are

not deductible for federal or state income tax purposes.