Knox County Board members were split on recreational cannabis but did vote in favor of opting-in to the business of recreational pot on Wednesday night.
This was but the first step in the process according to Ken Springer, President of the Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development, who spoke in favor of the board approving the agenda item.
“The opt-in is step one,” Springer said when he was asked to address the board. “Step two is to come back with an appropriate zoning plan for cannabis businesses. Which zones, the different types of cannabis businesses would be able to operate in. As well as, the county can set a sales tax. I believe that sales tax can go all the way up to 3.75 percent on the sale of cannabis.”
The approval lets the county opt into collecting tax money for dispensaries and the other ancillary businesses that fall in the county’s boundaries, which Springer also highlighted for the board.
“Understand there are more than just the retail storefronts in the cannabis industry there’s an entire supply chain, from cultivation to processing, to transportation that is going to be created along with this industry.”
Prior to the meeting, Galesburg resident Dale Carlson spoke against the opt-in agenda item. He was the only member of the public to speak against the item.
Board members Jared Hawkinson, Rick Sandoval, and Brian Freidrich voted against the opt-in while Sara Varner abstained.
Varner was the only board member who did not vote in favor of the opt-in to speak during her time for comment. She said that she was in favor of the county getting more tax money but her constituents told her they weren’t in favor of it. Additionally, she said as a mother she has a problem with drug use.
Another split vote for the county was in regards to the energy savings projects being proposed by SmartWatt. This time, the vote went against the approval.
Of the 12 board members in attendance, only Amor, Hawkinson, Bob Bondi, Kyle Rohweder, and Varner voted in favor with the remaining dissenting.
Board member Amor gave his comments on the decision, saying he was taken aback and disappointed how the vote played out, with no discussion or debate.
“We’re getting an enormous amount of benefit from this. And, quite frankly, given the reality of our financial situation, these energy improvements are not going to be made any time soon or they’ll be made piecemeal as things fall apart.”
County Clerk Scott Erickson said after the meeting that the building committee could look to alter the plans and bring back a different proposal in the future, adding that the vote against wasn’t “terminal.”
Another vote that the board was to consider, the approval of a compensation study from PayPoint HR was removed from the agenda.
