Our View: Hold off on a 7th penny tax

For a brief moment Tuesday, there was mention of an additional penny tax during the Sweetwater County Commissioners meeting.

Legally, it’s possible. A county can levy up to 3 percent in local sales taxes. We’re already at 2 percent, with what’s become known as the Optional Fifth Penny, a general use tax, and the sixth penny tax, which is levied for specific purposes. The brief discussion about a seventh penny tax involved in being used as a way to fund Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County’s ambulatory surgery center and a new facility for hospice care.

While we’re in favor of a...