Whether at the assembly or at the ballot box, the debate about borough sales tax won’t be ending any time soon.
Former candidate for borough mayor, Linda Hutchings, has been leading an effort to gather signatures to get a one-half percent sales tax increase on the fall ballot.
“I have been getting nothing but positive responses. I’ve had maybe two people out of the over 300 that I have signed up myself that have declined. That’s a pretty nice way to go.”
Hutchings didn’t have exact numbers, but is confident she and other sponsors will get the 2,200 signatures needed by July 24th to place a question on the fall ballot of whether or not to increase borough sales tax by half a percent. She says the tax debate over the past year has shifted a bit, and the effort to get signatures has been a chance to explain how that revenue stream is put to use.
“The ones that I talk to, they understand that the borough has cut its budget, they understand that the school district has cut theirs. But I think the thing that has been most informative for the voting public is a lot of them had no idea that sales tax was only used for education. Which is very important to them, and why I’m getting such positive feedback, because they thought it would just go into a big pot and be used for anything. It is earmarked for education, so that gives them a little bit more buy-in.”
Hutchings echoed a popular sentiment, that of all the various options that have been discussed recently, a sales tax is the most fair. Other taxes, like a bed tax, which has been shot down multiple times, target specific industries or activities which has been a tough sell for voters.
“There are not enough users in any one of those particular groups to generate the revenue that we would get from a half a percent. Half a percent would equate to five million dollars in one year. That’s taking care of your campers in your campgrounds, your dipnetters, the motorhomes parking at Fred Meyer that would never be paying a bed tax.”
Boosting the amount of sales tax isn’t the only consideration on the table right now. Up for debate at this week’s assembly meeting is an ordinance that would give the assembly power to raise the sales tax cap. The current cap is at $500, and it’s been in place since the borough was incorporated in 1964. A 2005 initiative created the current standard that asks voters for approval of a cap increase. The assembly meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday night.