The City Council and Mayor of the City of Lewisburg met at 4:50 p.m. on Tuesday night in front of a large audience of concerned residents for a public hearing.
After the meeting was called to order Councilmen Bam Haislip reminded the audience that the council would not have the final vote on this referendum. If and when the proposal was to be put on a ballot, the citizens of Lewisburg would have the final vote.
Three citizens expressed public questions.
Robin Minor inquired if there would be a cost to the city to put the referendum on the ballot. Donna Parks explained that the referendum would piggy back on the State Primary and that she did not feel there would be a cost to the city. Mayor Bingham said he would follow up on that question with the election office to get a definitive answer.
Holly Phillips asked if the city was aware that an increased sales tax would encourage people to shop out of town for items since the sales tax increase would increase the price of daily goods and purchases.
A small business owner, Jonathon Rivera, expressed his concern that the sales tax increase could mean that his prices would not be competitive to other small repair shops and that he would lose business.
At the conclusion of the public comment period the motion was passed to take a vote on the sales tax referendum which failed to pass 3 to 2. Those who voted No were Allen, Gordon, and Tipper. Councilmen who voted in favor of the increase were C.H. Harwell and Bam Haislip.