Helper’s mayor and city council have expressed their support for putting a quarter-percent countywide transportation sales tax on the ballot in November’s general election.
The tax would add 25 cents to every $100 in retail purchases except for groceries. Revenue would be earmarked for street repairs and improvements and could not be used for other purposes.
The city’s support came after a presentation by County Commissioner Jake Mellor. The commissioner explained that the legislature authorized local taxing entities to opt into the statewide program with voter approval.
Mellor’s visit was part of the commission’s effort to survey public opinion before putting the question on the ballot.
Half the transportation tax would be kept by the city or county where a sale occurs. The other half would go into a statewide pool for redistribution.
Commissioner Casey Hopes said in an interview that it is critical that voters in big cities sign on. Larger cities are collecting sales tax from small town people who shop in the malls and this could be a way for the smaller communities to bring some of that tax money back, he explained.
If the bigger cities don’t go along, there is no incentive for the small ones to impose the tax, Hopes said.
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