As the superpower of the state, Central Iowa no doubt can raise the sales tax to 7 percent in Polk, Dallas and Warren counties and rake in more money from residents of other counties without a hitch.

Proponents of a one percentage point increase, to be voted on in November, argue that most of the state’s municipalities already have gone to the 7 percent level, so we should too, and that’s also reasonable. No sense leaving money on the table.

However, the amazing boom in commercial and residential construction in the area weakens the sales tax advocates’ claim that our property taxes are an oppressive hindrance to growth.

It’s as much a matter of psychology as economics; we’ll soften the all-at-once shock of property taxes and pay somewhere close to the same amount in greater sales taxes, a little at a time. Americans seem fairly content to raise their own taxes when it’s presented as a matter of just one little penny.

Still, it will be interesting to watch the campaign to convince the public over the next few months. Some voters might think about the CIETC scandal and wonder whether they should trust government with any more of their money. But the fact that human beings mishandle money is nothing new. The question will be whether voters have faith in the particular controls outlined for the proposed Tri-County Regional Authority.

Some voters will hear “local option sales tax” and think once again about how West Des Moines used the penny that was earmarked for education to build a luxurious football stadium. This new proposal requires one-third of the new money to go directly to lowering property taxes, but some maneuvering will ensue with the other two-thirds.

One-third falls in a category called “additional local property tax relief,” but allows a lot of leeway. It’s hard to imagine a community lowering property taxes even further when it could use that money for “capital improvements.”

The final third can be used for a wide range of projects. Some will strike everyone as great ideas; some will lead to sighing and the shaking of heads.