The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Joy Swearingen, Quill Correspondent
The Hancock County Board learned more about its role in permitting and taxing the sale of recreational cannabis in the county during a hearing before their regular board meeting January 21. No one outside the board came to make public comment at the hearing.
The board took no action on a recommendation by the Health and Miscellaneous Committee that would allow one distribution center for recreational cannabis in unincorporated parts of Hancock County, and would tax sales at a rate of 3.75 percent, the maximum allowed by state law.
The recommendation included a provision for the county to tax sales at centers approved by incorporated towns in the county at the maximum rate of .75 percent.
"This recommendation does not mean the committee is pro cannabis," said Mark Hanson. "Rachel (Mast, Hancock County State's Attorney) gave us what the state would allow. We wanted to get it set for the county. Since Hamilton has approved a center, we need to do something."
Carthage and Nauvoo city councils have voted to prohibit recreational cannabis distribution centers in their city limits.
Hancock County has several possible actions - to prohibit any recreational cannabis centers in unincorporated areas of the county, to allow a specified number of centers, and to regulate where centers, if allowed, could be located.
The county can set up to a 3.75 percent tax on sales in unincorporated areas, and up to .75 percent tax on sales at centers approved in incorporated areas.
"If we do not vote, and a center can be licensed, but we do not get taxes," said Bryan Stevens. He asked if the resolution could be split in two, with action about unincorporated areas of the county as one vote and taxation on sales allowed by incorporated areas as a second. Mast agreed this is an option.
"I am completely against this," said Pat Cramer. "The dispensaries will be more expensive, and this will encourage black market sales. It is a sin to expose our kids to this."
Patsy Davis urged the board to support the recommendation.
"We need to do this for our constituents," Davis said. "If we have this possibility for tax money and say "no', and then down the road we need to raise taxes for some reason, that won't go over well."
Mark Menn asked about what kind of burden or asset the sale of cannabis would be on the court system.
"We fund the courts, the state's attorney, the sheriff's office," Menn said. "We don't want to do this for the money, and then see it is not really an asset."
Mast said the board was making valid points on both sides of the issue.
"You just need to make the decision on what is right for you," Mast said.
"Is there a cost? Yes. Will it make some money? Yes. If people want legal marijuana they will buy it in Hamilton, in Quincy, and likely Macomb. There is always going to be the issue of people possibly driving through the county under the influence."
The board will continue the discussion in February and consider dividing the issue into two resolutions. Mast said the board has time. The licensing process is long, and no distribution centers will be approved before summer.
Port Authority proposal
The county board approved supporting the creation of statistical boundaries for the Mississippi River Ports of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois.
Retired U.S. Army Col. Robert Sinkler brought information on a proposed 15-county port area (MSPEIWI) along the Mississippi River from Keokuk to Dubuque, Iowa. Federally designated ports only exist now at St. Louis and at Minneapolis-St. Paul.
He said terminals along the proposed area are considered independent.
"We are missing out on funding because there is no federally recognized port authority for this area. We have to fix that," Sinkler said.
The 222-mile long port area would be the 68th largest in the United States. Funding could be available for private investment shipping companies and for improvements along the river by the Rock Island District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The MSPEIWI will have no authority to levy taxes or regulate commerce within the port. It designates a federally recognized port where shippers are already doing business, according to Sinkler.
In other business, the board:
- Approved the LaHarpe Christian Church as a polling place;
- Set the mileage reimbursement rate for county business at 57.5 cents, matching the state rate;
- Issued a deed as trustee for taxing districts in Bowen, with a successful bid of $1,890;
- Approved supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending November 2019 for a total of $102,414, reflecting actual spending.
- Approved ambulance write-offs of contractual adjustment for Medicare and Medicaid payments of $75,640 and uncollectable ambulance billing of $13,464;
- Confirmed appointments of Oakland Cemetery Trustees, C. Craig Becker, Joe Bartholomew and Paul Figge until 2025;
- Confirmed Henderson County members to the Emergency Telephone Systems 911 Board, Steven Haynes until January 2021, Kim Gullberg until January 2022, and Roger Cook until January 2023.
Hancock County now dispatches for Henderson County EMS, and the five-member 911 board is expanding to eight with three members from Henderson County.