Sheriff grateful to Whiteside County voters after sales tax to fund emergency dispatch services approved

STERLING – Whiteside County‘s sheriff said he is grateful to voters after a countywide sales tax to help fund emergency dispatch services was approved during Tuesday’s consolidated election.

The Whiteside County public safety tax referendum passed with 3,667 votes for the measure and 2,907 against it. A total of 6,822 of the county’s 37,881 voters (18%) cast their ballots to decide the referendum’s fate. The measure had failed in two previous elections, most recently in November.

“I am truly grateful for the support of the community,” Booker said in a news release. “This vote reflects the deep care our residents have for the safety and security of their families, neighborhoods and the entire county. With the approval of this tax, we can continue to provide the level of public safety and law enforcement services that Whiteside County deserves.”

The 0.5% sales tax adds an additional 50 cents for every $100 that shoppers spend on general merchandise in Whiteside County. The tax would not apply to groceries or items that must be titled or registered by a state agency, including watercraft, aircraft, trailers, mobile homes, qualifying drugs (including over-the-counter medications and vitamins) and medical appliances.

Amy Robbins, the county administrator for Whiteside County, has said dispatch services cost $1.8 million annually to operate. Outside of radio surcharges, the county and the cities of Sterling and Rock Falls foot the bill, with a deficit of about $500,000 each year. Now, that money can remain in those cities’ general funds for other uses.

“It’d be nice to see some of that money go toward public works equipment or the roads,” newly elected Sterling Alderman Allen Przysucha told Shaw Local. “Another big priority is supporting our police and fire departments. I want both departments to have the equipment they need to keep us safe.”

The tax is estimated to raise an annual $2 million that only can be used for matters of public safety. Any funds left over would be used to buy equipment and radio and software upgrades while allowing for multiagency interaction.

The new public safety tax also will help to fund the county’s new unified 911 call center in Morrison. Last September, the Twin Cities Communications Center in Sterling closed and the dozen dispatchers who worked there joined eight co-workers in the Whiteside County Law Enforcement Center in Morrison.

“The creation of one central 911 center is a game-changer for Whiteside County,” Booker said in the release. “It will streamline emergency response efforts and allow us to better coordinate services, improving outcomes for everyone in our community.”