Centralia voters to consider public safety sales tax hike

Centralia voters will decide in two weeks on a sales tax increase for public safety.

Mayor Tim Grenke says the half-cent hike would go to police and firefighters in town.

“I think [people he’s spoken to] generally support it. They like our police department, have great respect for the law enforcement and the fire department.”

Grenke says Centralia officers are working long shifts with a lot of overtime, which also puts a strain on the city’s budget. He says the fire department is using a lot of aging equipment that needs to be replaced.

If approved, the tax would generate about $200,000 more a year for police and fire. The sales tax would go from 7.975 percent to 8.475 percent.