The topic on the mind of most city councils and mayors around Dallas County right now is the petition regarding the local option sales tax.

The purpose of the petition is to put a measure on the ballot for the November general election to continue the tax with the cities involved. Perry has been leading the way for the petition, which currently has around 1,300 of the 2,000 signatures needed. Mayor Jay Pattee reminds people that even if they sign the petition, it doesn’t mean they’re voting yes on the measure.

“What’s going around now is just the right to put it on the ballot to vote on. If you sign this petition, you’re not even saying ‘I’m for or against it,’ what you’re saying is ‘I’m for putting it on the ballot so people have a right to vote for it.’ And I think that probably explains it in a nutshell.”

The local option sales tax in Perry has been in place for 20 years, so Pattee reminds people it’s not a new tax, but a continuation of the current one. A copy of it can be found in Perry at Ben’s Five and Dime, the public library, the McCreary Center, and City Hall.

To hear more about this and other City of Perry topics, listen to last Thursday’s and today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.