Christian County commissioners explain 1.5% use tax proposal, pledge large county-levy rollback if voters approve

Commissioner (Speaker 1), a Christian County commissioner, said the measure before voters would place a 1.5% county use tax on out-of-state online purchases and argued it would level the playing field for local retailers.

"The use tax is a tax that is for someone who purchases something online from out of state. They would pay the regular county tax of 1.5%, which is the same exact tax they would pay if they walked into 1 of our local stores and purchase something," Commissioner (Speaker 1) said.

The commissioners described the proposal as part of a broader financing strategy to address stagnant sales-tax receipts and a growing demand for county services. Commissioner (Speaker 1) said a county work study showed sales tax revenue has not kept pace with rising costs for roads, law enforcement and prosecutions, and that the county previously tried and failed to place a county-level use tax on the ballot in 2013.

"Our sales tax revenue has been very stagnant. And we fund almost everything through sales tax here," Commissioner…