BY JUSTIN SABATA
Ellis County residents can now make a decision on the future of medical services in the area. The Ellis County office recently mailed ballots to residents regarding two proposed sales tax plans, health services and general sales tax.
The general sales tax, which would begin in October, would assist in government services like repairs and additions of roads, bridges and government-owned equipment. The tax would also be utilized to provide more resources to cities in Ellis County.
The health services sales tax would provide financial assistance for local health services. These include emergency, mental health and health department services. It is difficult to forecast if the tax would assist Ellis County with the current COVID-19 pandemic given the tax would not begin until October.
Both taxes consist of a quarter-cent sales boost. If both taxes were to pass, it would provide more than $2 million for Ellis County, interim county administrator Darrin Myers said in an online educational video. Myers also provided hypothetical situations to show how the sales tax would affect county purchases.
“If you go out to lunch and it costs you about 10 bucks, you’d see about another five cents on your sales tax,” Myers said. “If you take the family out to eat tonight at Gella’s, you would see an additional 50 cents on a $100 bill.”
Ballots are to be filled out and then mailed via the return envelope given. Residents can vote for none, one or both of the sales tax plans. The deadline for ballots is April 7.