THE COMMITTEE has spoken: St. Clairsville is in need of a .75-percent income tax.
Such was the revelation at Tuesday's St. Clairsville City Council meeting.
St. C. council directed Mayor Robert Vincenzo in December to form an independent committee to study the city's finances and make a recommendation as to whether the proposed .75-percent income tax was necessary.
Vincenzo did just that. The veteran mayor established a panel of professional individuals above reproach.
The independent panel gave thumbs up to the tax. City voters in November shot down a 1-percent tax.
It noted the options of doing away with the recreation department and police dispatching would not be a cure all. We do not understand why St. C. residents would even want those two scenarios to take place.
We also question why three council members would vote against the committee's findings and the subsequent income-tax ordinance. We have faith in the committee members and the task they performed. They validated the need for the tax, which should have resulted in council's unified support.
Moreover, we fail to see why council members of such a scenic and progressive community would want to take a step backward.
Without the tax, St. Clairsville would start experiencing the fates of its neighbors -- cuts in services and a rollback of a quality lifestyle.
St. Clairsville has features that surrounding towns can only hope for -- a picturesque walking and bike trail, boundless recreational opportunities, a vibrant and gorgeous downtown and business district and a deep sense of community pride.
The independent committee's belief is that a tax is needed. St. Claitsville residents should embrace that decision.
