Trevor Fuller, chair of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, argued Tuesday that commissioners have given the people a choice to authorize use of what powers commissioners have to raise funds to supplement teacher salaries.

Among his arguments for the quarter-cent sales tax increase now headed to the November ballot: A sales tax will transfer some of the cost of the local teacher salary supplement to Mecklenburg’s visitors who buy things subject to the tax.

He said using the property tax to raise a similar amount of money would push the burden on fewer people.

And as for concerns raised that future commissioners could shift the money elsewhere, Fuller argued that the public vote that would be required to change the June policy earmarking the tax would at least allow the public to participate in such a future decision. Nothing is guaranteed about anything, Fuller argued.

The three videos below include Fuller’s initial statement, then excerpts from the extensive Q&A that followed.