Sales Tax Increase

Already there's talk of another tax increase to cover the costs of increased city employee pensions, which is the reason the city imposed the last 1/2% sale tax increase. Currently, the 8 1/4% sale tax rate is equal to Murphysboro and slightly less than that of Marion. Mayoral candidate Joel Fritzler, for one, has floated the possibility of increasing the city tax by another 1/4% to 8.5% to cover the pension costs. If the Saluki Way sales tax hadn't passed a couple of years ago, the city would now have much more flexibility in considering sales tax increases without the concern of sending business to Murphysboro or Marion.