Winnebago County contemplating adding 1/2% sales tax

Winnebago County officials are pondering the addition of a .5% sales tax being added and the first discussions of this tax were brought up at a meeting yesterday.

In the meeting, county board supervisors and County Executive Gordon Hintz said they wouldn’t implement the additional sales tax; however, it is preparing write-ups and data to review possible impacts of one.

Discussing both the perks and drawbacks an additional sales tax would have, Hintz stated it wouldn’t just be a burden on local residents, saying the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the county each year for events like AirVenture and Lifefest would help contribute to the tax, which would help county residents relieve property tax, which is the reason for the proposed tax. Hintz also suggested that the funds from this tax would accumulate for the county faster than property tax would.

Pending the outcome of further data and the write ups, a formal resolution on a potential tax plan could be introduced as early as next month.