Chamber endorses Cedar Rapids local-option tax extension

The board of directors of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce has endorsed the proposed 20-year extension of the city's 1-percent local-option sales tax.

A vote on the extension is slated for May 3 with the city of Cedar Rapids, unincorporated Linn County and most of the other cities in the county voting on the extension. Each jurisdiction has its own plans for the use of funds if the extension is approved by its voters.

The city of Cedar Rapids will use 50 percent of the tax extension to help provide funds for a flood-protection system, 40 percent to fix existing streets and 10 percent for spending it deems necessary and otherwise would have to use property taxes to pay for.

In its endorsement of the tax extension for Cedar Rapids, the Chamber's board said it strongly supported the need to protect and invest in Cedar Rapids. Helping to pay for a comprehensive flood-protection system while also funding street improvements and providing property-tax relief will “position” Cedar Rapids to become a place “where people want to live, companies want to locate and more downtown investment will occur,” the board said in a prepared statement.

The Chamber board also noted that the city is seeking significant funding from both the federal and state governments to help pay for a flood protection system, and the board said the city will improve its chances to secure those funds by proving it can provide local funds to the project.

“Cedar Rapids has the opportunity to make a statement to both the state and federal governments by showing our commitment to developing a comprehensive flood protection system,” said Chuck Peters, the Chamber's chairman.