“This is an entire community public safety project,” Liberal Fire Chief Kelly Kirk said. “We’re talking the communications for sheriff, police, both fires, EMS, emergency management in the event of a tornado, ice storm, wind storm, whatever. Isn’t that what the sales tax money’s for, and isn’t that where that money’s coming from? The people who drive through here from Iowa.”
“We’re not paying salaries out of that, but aren’t they the ones that use that? The folks from the county who come to town and shop. The folks from Oklahoma who come to town and shop. The people who drive through here from Iowa on vacation and spend the night in a motel and eat supper and have a car wreck and use our EMS and our fire and our police service.”
Kirk said while he is not looking at paying for the entire project out of the 1-cent sales tax, that money could help fund it.
“Could sales tax help?” he said. “I’m just throwing that out there. That’s something we need to consider.”
(Read more: Liberal First)