Whiteside County public safety sales tax slated for April 2025 ballot

STERLING – Whiteside County voters in April 2025 will once again be asked to consider a countywide sales tax to help fund emergency dispatch services.

Residents were asked in November to consider the same 0.5% public safety sales tax but the measure failed after 65.85% of voters said no. The Whiteside County Board last week voted to again place the measure on the ballot.

If approved, the sales tax would add 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, 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. Robbins said there is a deficit of about $500,000 each year.

If Whiteside County voters approve the tax, cities would not have to pay to cover the services, and the money that Sterling and Rock Falls now spend for 911 services could possibly remain in their general funds for other uses. If the tax does not pass, cities throughout the county would have to pay for services.

“I’m in favor of this because the alternative to making up that money is usually an increase in property taxes or some sort of utility bill surcharge,” Whiteside County Board Vice Chairman Kurt Glazier said. “Plus, with new businesses like the Love’s truck stop coming to the area, we could have a lot of people who aren’t from the county helping to pay for our services.”

A graphic shared by Whiteside County Sheriff John Booker on his Facebook page shows the estimated cost that each town and the county would be responsible for if the measure does not pass:

• Tampico: $17,415
• Albany: $22,086
• Erie: $38,204
• Prophetstown: $50,168
• Fulton: $94,420
• Morrison: $104,568
• Rock Falls: $222,944
• Sterling: $378,797
• Whiteside County: $496,394
• Special Service Area 1: $175,000

The tax is estimated to raise an annual $2 million that could only 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.

“It’s a hard sell,” Glazier said. “But it’s a tax that’s not going away. However, it can be lowered down the road when we find ourselves in better financial times.”