Rep. Julie Olthoff has pulled a proposed food and beverage tax bill in Crown Point following significant feedback from local businesses.
She mentioned that there were a lot of questions about how much money the tax would actually bring in and what the plan was for spending it. Olthoff said, “It’s not ready,” and hinted that it might come back next year or maybe not at all.
Crown Point’s Mayor, Peter Land, also weighed in, saying the decision to withdraw the bill was a team effort. He noted that they got mixed feedback from residents and local businesses. Some were for the tax, while others were against it.
The chamber of commerce even sent out a poll to its members, and the response was pretty clear. Chamber President Ken Michaels said they got “overwhelming” feedback against the proposed tax.
The bill, known as House Bill 1236, would have added a 1% tax on food and beverage purchases. The money was supposed to fund local projects like the Crown Point Sportsplex and improvements to parks. But there were concerns about using tax money for things like parking and historic buildings that the city doesn’t own.
Parking has been a hot topic in Crown Point, especially with more customers coming to the downtown area. Mayor Land emphasized the importance of supporting local businesses and said they’d keep working together for their success.
In Indiana, 39 communities have already adopted a food and beverage tax, with nearby Merrillville and Hammond being examples. The goal of the tax was to create extra funding for local projects and boost tourism, but it seems the community wasn’t on board this time.
Land wrapped it up nicely, saying everyone should have a say in how they spend their money. After all, hard-earned cash deserves careful consideration, right?
