City eyes November for sales tax increase vote
MOSES LAKE — If you are a registered voter in Moses Lake you could be seeing a sales tax increase proposition on your ballot in November.
The Moses Lake City Council previously passed an ordinance to create a Transportation Benefit District (TBD), which has the ability to impose an additional vehicle licensing fee, as well as a 0.20 percent sales tax, which requires a simple majority via referendum vote in order to be instituted. All funds generated through the increases go directly to helping pay for street maintenance projects and pedestrian improvements in the city.
In late February the board voted to impose a $20 tab fee, which the city is expected to start collecting in October. The option is also available to bump the fee up to $40 after two years. Any fee that goes above $40 is subject to a referendum vote of the people.
During the same February meeting, the board also passed a resolution with regard to the sales tax increase. The resolution stated that upon approval of the sales tax measure by voters, which is expected to raise about $1.4 million annually for street projects, the $20 fee will no longer be in effect and no longer be collected.
There was no date set during the February meeting for when the sales tax referendum will go onto the ballot. That’s why a study session was held Tuesday night. City Manager John Williams explained the deadline to file a resolution for the November general election is Aug. 1.
“The components that obviously you would have to have to put the measure forward, you would have to write what Proposition 1 is for the city, what it entails. So you write that description and it would be included in the voter’s pamphlet,” Williams explained.
Every councilmember was in agreement that placing the measure on the November general election ballot is best, opposed to waiting until a different date or placing it on the ballot in a special election.
“I do think there are some advantages of us moving forward. I think that there is never a good time for a sales tax increase,” councilmember Bill Ecret remarked.
Councilmember Karen Liebrecht had concerns about a November vote after Williams explained Grant County will possibly be running a sales tax increase initiative on the general election ballot as well.
“There would be, I believe three-tenths (0.30 percent) is what they have been discussing at this point for law enforcement purposes,” Williams stated. “The portion that is collected within the jurisdiction of the city is then remitted to that particular city.”
The only problem with the funds raised through the county’s measure, however, is that all the monies would go directly to law enforcement in the city, not street projects.
“One may complement the other. So I don’t think we back down because the county is going to run one or they might run one. We move forward. We still shoot for the general,” Ecret asserted.
City staff will be bringing back documents for possible adoption at a future meeting.
Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.