After forum on La Crosse county sales tax, Mayor Kabat still not impressed

“Premier resort tax” will essentially be a .5% sales tax hike on the April ballot.

La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat is no more impressed with a proposed hike in the county sales tax than he was before.  

Kabat took part in a Wednesday forum on the premier resort area tax. One of the things he learned: That additional .5 percent tax in the county would cost the average household $142 a year.

“For many of our households, that’s a very large amount of money,” Kabat said. “The city portion of the property tax is about $1,400 per year,” Kabat said. “So, another $142 in sales tax adds a 10 percent uptick.”

County voters will weigh in on the tax on an advisory referendum in April. 

“The whole idea of just how regressive a sales tax is in general and with how it’s being put together here, has me really concerned,” Kabat said.

Kabat also believes the tax will inordinately impact La Crosse businesses.