By Adam Studzinski

NORMAL – Normal’s Town Council took a look Monday night at a proposal to increase the local sales tax by one percent.

The proposal is contingent on Bloomington also raising its sales tax by the same amount. This would generate $15.4 million in revenue each year. The revenue would be split up among various community needs, such as a new soccer complex which would see about $1.2 million a year.

Dave Magers has been working on a proposed new $15 million soccer complex for eight years. He described how the funding from the tax increase would be used.

“I’ve had discussions with local banks about financing this project,” said Magers. “The revenue that would be attributed to this from councils from a sales tax increase, if that’s the avenue that the council would choose to take, would be to service that debt.”

McLean County mental health services would receive $3.8 million per year.

“About half of that would go to capital expenses and new operations costs in the jail and in the justice system,” said County Board Chairman Matt Sorenson. “The other half would be used to implement the hundreds of other recommendations in our very long document.”

Connect Transit would end up receiving 1 million dollars annually.

“$1 million in local funding alone will make it possible to fund service on Sundays or increase frequency on some of our busiest routes to 15 minute intervals,” Connect Transit General Manager Andrew Johnson said.

Finally, business development would see 1 million dollars per year as well.

The remaining revenue would be split between Bloomington and Normal. Bloomington would keep just over $5 million. Normal would keep $3.3 million.

Normal plans to continue discussing the proposal.

Also on Monday, the council approved a $669,000 project to preserve and improve the northern portion of Sugar Creek.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].