At the Neenah Common Council meeting on Aug. 20, Winnebago County Board Supervisor Kate Hancock Cook briefed aldermen on a recent county presentation about a possible Winnebago County option sales tax and urged Neenah residents to contact their county supervisors with views on the proposal.

Cook told the council that a county supervisor had introduced a resolution to consider a county option sales tax and that the item was discussed at a county board meeting, but the sponsor later withdrew the resolution from that meeting’s agenda. The county executive’s office subsequently presented slides outlining potential benefits and drawbacks; Cook described the presentation’s key points and asked Neenah officials and residents to review the materials and provide feedback.

Cook summarized points that were shown on the county slides. She said the presentation noted advantages including that nonresidents who shop in Winnebago County would contribute to local costs and that large events such as the EAA AirVenture generate demand for services without directly producing county revenue. She said the presentation listed drawbacks including that sales tax is regressive and that revenues can fall in economic downturns.

Cook cited examples from the slides: a $75 taxable purchase would increase by about $0.38 under the proposed rate in the presentation, a $15,000 used‑vehicle purchase would rise by about $75, and a median home price in the example ($297,000) would see an estimated long‑run property‑tax relief of about $246 if revenues were applied to property‑tax relief. She also said the slides showed a county facilities master‑plan need of about $65,000,000 and that maintenance of the UW–Fox Valley campus was listed at about $1,700,000 in the materials presented to the county board.

Cook, who also serves on the city’s planning commission, separately suggested the council consider solar panels in connection with planned work at the fire station at the corner she described as Tuller and Breezewood Bell Street, saying new construction is a logical moment to consider installing modern solar systems.

Alderman Palmer added that the county resolution had been structured as a first step to establish a committee and that supervisors expected to revisit the matter; he said the resolution’s materials had explicitly referenced UW–Fox Valley maintenance costs. Cook said the county discussion included substantial public comment and that no county board action was taken at the meeting she described.

Cook told Neenah residents to contact their county board supervisor and the county board chair if they wish to weigh in. No formal action on a sales tax was before the Neenah council during the Aug. 20 meeting.