Deer Park votes 'no' on sales tax hike

Deer Park voters weren't sold on a sales tax increase.

With all precincts reporting late Tuesday, unofficial results indicate 59 percent of voters opposed increasing the local sales tax by a 0.5 percentage point.

Deer Park officials were hoping the increase, which they estimated would generate $700,000 annually, would pay for road and drainage improvements. Deer Park has no property tax and does not have home rule powers.

The biggest return would be from its regional mall, the Deer Park Town Center. A recent study showed 98 percent of shoppers there live outside the village.

Village President Scott Gifford said that even without the extra sales tax, the village will go ahead with some road and drainage improvements this year. This year's budget includes $500,000 for work.

"We're going to do the best we can with the monies we have," Gifford said.

But he added the village will need to spend $800,000 to $1 million a year over 12 years for these projects, so more money is needed.

Opposition to the sales tax hike was led by a group of residents called Deer Park Neighbors, which has criticized the current administration, particularly over their efforts to turn Vehe Farm into a community center and showplace.

"It was … a citizen revolt," declared Deborah Barry, a spokeswoman for the Deer Park Neighbors.

Barry said Tuesday night she believes infrastructure improvements are needed in Deer Park but she and others feared the village board would use the money gained for other things. Any question on a future ballot would have to "put a financial fence around the dollars" to ensure the money would go toward streets and sewer improvements, she said.

Gifford said there was never any doubt the money would have gone to infrastructure and nothing else.

He said late Tuesday it is too early to say whether the village would try again on the November general election ballot.