HAMILTON — After eight months of debate and public meetings, Butler County commissioners on Monday approved a 10-year sales tax increase to pay for major road improvements and other projects.

        Approval came despite opposition that includes the county's most powerful township.

ROAD PROJECTS

These are 11 major road projects that could be paid for with revenue from the sales tax increase approved Monday, and their estimated costs to Butler County:   • Washington Boulevard extension and bridge — $30 million   • Ohio 63 extension — $26.7 million   • Yankee Road/University Boulevard extension to Ohio 63 — $2.7 million   • Ohio 4 Bypass widening from two lanes to four — $2.6 million   • Construction of a road connecting the Butler County Regional Airport to to the Ohio 4 Bypass — $2 million   • Symmes Road improvement — $2 million   • Ohio 73 improvement at Jacksonburg and Ohio 503 — $2 million   • Hamilton-Mason Road widening to Ohio 4 Bypass — $2 million   • Ohio 747 widening from Smith Road to Princeton Road — $$1.1 million   • Ohio 747 widening from Princeton Road to Ohio 4 — $1 million   • Saltzman Road improvement and upgrades to Ohio 63 — $690,000

        Butler County's 5.75 cents per dollar sales tax — lower than the 6 cents in Clermont, Hamilton and Warren counties — will jump a half-cent on March 1 to 6.25 cents for six years, drop to 6 cents for four years, then expire.

        An estimated $13 million would be raised in the first full year of the increase, county officials said. Over 10 years, an estimated $129 million would be raised.

        The increase passed on a 2-1 vote. Commissioners Mike Fox and Chuck Furmon voted in favor, and Commissioner Courtney Combs against. All three are Republicans.

        The increase could be challenged by a voter refer endum. If so, it would be placed on a special ballot if petitions with at least 8,842 valid signatures are presented to the Butler County Board of Elections within 30 days.

        Supporters say the additional revenue is essential for Butler County to realize its full potential as an center of economic development with high-tech jobs and a high quality of life.

        “If Butler County wants to have a future that gives our children and grandchildren the high-paying jobs, we need to make certain investments,” Mr. Fox said.

        Mr. Combs, who remained non-committal until Monday,

        cited the national economic downturn and his objections to certain projects to be funded by sales tax revenue.

        Mr. Combs said it's more uncertain than ever whether state and federal funding will be available for some of the road projects on the list, including the proposed $90 million Ohio 63 extension in the Trenton-Monroe area.

        Mr. Combs, who is up for re-election next year, said he objects to some items on the funding list, such as paying off more than $9 million in county debt.

        “That's not an economic development project,” he said.

        West Chester Township Trustee Catherine Stoker complained Monday that the commissioners didn't whittle down its list of 34 possible projects that might receive sales tax funds.

        The projects would require more than $160 million of county money. The estimated revenue from the tax increase will fall more than $30 million short

        “County taxpayers deserve a more thorough study of what you plan to do with these hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Ms. Stoker, a Democrat who unsuccessfully challenged Mr. Furmon in last year's election.

        George Gordon III, a Hamilton resident who has been closely following the county sales tax proposal, said citizens should be able to vote on it.

        “There are a lot of items on that list that can't be funded with what the county has,” he said.

        Twice this year, Butler County voters rejected a quarter-cent sales tax increase for public transit. Public transit is to receive $1.1 million from the sales tax increase.

        Dan Gattermeyer, chairman of the Butler County Democratic Party, said his party doesn't intend to lead a referendum effort, but that the tax likely will be an issue when Mr. Fox and Mr. Furmon face re-election in 2004: “We won't forget,” he said.

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