To the editor:

County sales tax can pay for PDR

March 6, 2007

As the proceeds from the local sales tax in Washington County continues to grow, it makes it more clear than ever that there is ample funding already in place for the proposed preservation program for our lands and water.

The half-percent sales tax that goes into county coffers grew by $470,000 in 2006 to a total of $8.9 million.

The price tag on the local match for preserving prime farmland, water recharge and natural areas is $800,00 per year for 10 years - about 9 percent of the sales tax revenues.

The growth alone will be more than enough for the preservation.

The County has spent about $8 million a year on capital investments for seven years, showing a willingness to spend heavily on bricks and mortar.

In the future, it will be redirecting half the sales tax revenues to daily operations of the county. That subsidy of daily expenses is possible because the list of investments in capital projects has been whittled way down by the $50-plus million spent over the last seven years.

Citizens of the county will have a chance at the April 3 referendum to set an investment priority: the saving of our most valuable local assets - our prime farmlands and water resources.

County officials have made many decisions to add bricks and mortar, and to subsidize operating expenses like soaring health care costs.

On April 3, county voters have a chance to decide that a small investment in land and water resources is just as important as the previous huge investments in bricks and mortar.

Anthony J. Warren, West Bend