Would you pay an extra 1 percent of sales tax to fund $13.68 million worth of new bridges, sewage systems and other infrastructure around Park County? Local voters will answer that question in November’s general election.

Elected leaders from the city of Powell, city of Cody, town of Meeteetse and the Park County Commission all separately agreed this month to send the proposal to voters.

“I think ... that’s our responsibility — is to allow our constituency to let us know if they feel that this is worthy or not,” Cody Mayor Nancy Tia Brown said Wednesday, shortly before commissioners voted 4-1 to put the potential tax hike on the ballot.

If voters agree to temporarily raise the county’s sales tax rate from 4 to 5 percent to collect the $13.68 million, the money would be spent like this:

• $5 million for the city of Cody to upgrade its sewer lagoons, install new wheelchair-accessible ramps and chip seal a number of streets.

• $4.25 million for the city of Powell to widen and upgrade Absaroka Street.

• $2.43 million for Park County to replace bridges and upgrade roads on the South Fork and replace a small bridge northwest of Garland.

• $2 million for the town of Meeteetse to upgrade a sewer lift station and install some water, sewer and electrical infrastructure.

Park County Commission Chairman and tax opponent Tim French set aside 40 minutes on Wednesday’s commission agenda for discussing the proposal, but it only took about eight.

Commissioners did not make any comments before voting to move forward.

Larry French — Tim French’s brother and a fellow leader of an anti-tax group called Citizens for Responsible Taxation — was the only member of the general public to speak; he spoke in opposition to the tax going forward.

“What I’m seeing is that people just can’t afford this extra tax,” Larry French said. “I’ve had elderly people tell me that they’re having to make sacrifices because they’re on a fixed income and this will hurt them. I’ve had retail business people tell me that their main competition is the internet and that they’re having difficulties. They’re concerned more people will go north to Billings.”

Among other concerns, Larry French also noted the down economy.

A couple days earlier, the Big Horn Basin TEA Party sent a newsletter urging its supporters to “be proactive now and tell the commissioners what we believe in.”

The group’s newsletter concluded by saying that, “Taxation without responsible representation is also Tyranny,” adding, “Listen up elected officials, the people are speaking. Again!”

Commissioner French was the only elected official to oppose sending the tax to the Nov. 8 general election ballot; the votes on the Meeteetse, Powell and Cody councils had been unanimous, Brown said.

During the Powell City Council’s Aug. 1 meeting, Mayor Don Hillman said he thought the projects were clearly outlined and “definitely needed, at least in Powell’s case, for over 30 years.”

“It is time to turn it over to the voters to have their say,” said councilman John Wetzel.

The elected officials decided to seek a 1 cent specific purpose tax after conducting a survey that found voters might be open to passing one. (Voters appeared uninterested in a general purpose tax that could be used at the discretion of the local governments; they rejected such a proposal in 2012.)

If the new tax is approved, officials predict it would take two-and-a-half years to collect the $13.68 million.