Three city council members who voted against new tax increase measures in Florence say they want to examine the city’s spending before considering any higher taxes.
A plan to increase the sales tax in Florence by one penny and to increase lodging taxes by 3 percent failed last week on a 3 to 3 vote. Florence Mayor Steve Holt tells the Florence Times-Daily he thought the plan, which would have increased city revenue by nearly $10 million a year, was going to pass.
City Treasurer Dan Barger has been warning city officials that Florence can’t pay for its current level of city services with its current level of revenue. The city has reportedly put off maintenance and big-ticket municipal purchases for several years.
The three dissenting council members all say they’re not ruling out changing their minds in the future and supporting higher taxes.