Public safety tax clears first hurdle with support from Boone County Council

By Ann Marie Shambaugh

A proposed tax to enhance public safety in Boone County cleared its first major hurdle Sept. 13 when the Boone County Council unanimously approved a resolution expressing its support.

Many Boone County residents spoke in favor of the tax at the meeting, with dozens expressing support and only two speaking against it.

The resolution sets the tax rate at .5 percent. To go into effect, elected governing bodies representing more than half of the county’s population must approve the new tax. With the Boone County Council’s support, that means only the Town of Zionsville or City of Lebanon must approve the tax for it to go into effect Jan. 1.

A joint public meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 11 at Lebanon High School to give officials from other elected governing bodies in the county a chance to vote.

“In that meeting, I would like to see a unified vote of yes from all town and city councils,” stated Nielsen in an email to several officials in Boone County. “It will be crucial that we at least secure the vote from the Town of Zionsville or City of Lebanon in order to implement this LIT proposal. It would be great if both of these councils voted in favor of the LIT increase.”

A new state law allows counties to pass a local income tax, or LIT, to be used for public safety, economic development, certified shares or property tax relief. In Boone County, Sheriff Mike Nielsen is spearheading an effort to implement the new tax, which he said should be designated to only be used for public safety.

Nielsen has been traveling throughout the county in recent weeks speaking to elected officials and residents about why he believes the tax is necessary. He’s developed a five-year strategic plan that includes adding employees to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, which he said hasn’t increased its staffing levels since 2004, despite explosive growth in the county.

If implemented, each municipality in the county would receive a percentage of the tax revenue. In Zionsville, a .5 percent LIT would lead to an estimated $3.9 million annually in revenue for public safety. For the Boone County taxing unit, that amount would be approximately $4.5 million per year.

Earlier this month the Zionsville police and fire chiefs explained to the Zionsville Town Council why they support the LIT. Both chiefs said their departments are chronically understaffed and that the LIT will allow them to hire more police officers and firefighters, among other things.