The Fremont County Commissioners approved two resolutions at a special meeting Wednesday to place two fiscal issues on the November 6th mail ballot. Fremont County Sheriff Jim Beicker is putting forth a sales tax question that would ask voters to increase the county sales tax by one-half percent from 1.5% to 2%.
Beicker noted that when voters rejected a proposed property tax increase last November many people said they would have preferred that a sales tax increase would have been presented instead of a property tax. State law prevented that last year because a 6.9 percent sales tax limit had been reached in Florence. Last spring the legislature approved and the Governor signed HB-1344 which permits sales tax increases of up to two percent beyond the 6.9 percent limit if used exclusively for public safety. Sheriff Beicker said with state authority now in place, voters will be asked to approve the half-cent sales tax increase to raise about $1.7 million per year.
He said the money raised will help meet the state mandate to operate the jail. Beicker says the reality is that even while his department is getting set to open the new 96 bed jail addition, revenue from leasing some beds will last only a couple of years until Fremont County needs that bed space for its own inmates. Without additional revenue from the sales tax Beicker says money would have to be taken from other county services to keep the jail operating. Beicker says the money would also be used to address the same patrol needs listed a year ago to put more deputies on patrol in the county. Sheriff Beicker said "This would help fulfill our mandate. We want to provide what the citizens expect and deserve, standards recognized nationally. The alternative would lead to litigation and that would be quite a bit more expensive."
Commission Chairman Ed Norden said if the sales tax is passed the Commissioners expect to continue funding the Sheriff's budget at the same level it is now along with the new sales tax revenue, thus assuring citizens that funds would not be diverted elsewhere.
The Commissioners also referred to the ballot a property tax stabilization measure intended to capture some of the revenue developed through efforts by County Assessor Stacey Seifert to get properties on the tax rolls that were neglected the past five years. The ballot language proposes that without raising any new tax rates or mill levy the county would be allowed to collect its maximum 12.294 mills in property taxes established as the limit under the Tabor Amendment that was approved by voters in 1992. The measure calls for an eight year time out on the Tabor revenue limits on property taxes through tax year 2015.
Norden said that when voters rejected a mill levy increase for Road and Bridge maintenance last year citizens said that growth should pay for itself. Norden said this tax stabilization question does just that by allowing the maximum Tabor mill levy limit to be collected against the growth in new properties that the assessor is putting on the tax rolls. Commissioner Mike Stiehl said the Commissioners also felt it was important to place a sunset limit on the revenue issue so if it's reconsidered by voters in eight years they could measure what had been accomplished with the money. Commissioner Larry Lasha said the maintenance needs of the Road and Bridge Department have not gone away and that the county is continuing to face challenges of how to keep pace with costly road repairs and equipment.
Beicker noted that when voters rejected a proposed property tax increase last November many people said they would have preferred that a sales tax increase would have been presented instead of a property tax. State law prevented that last year because a 6.9 percent sales tax limit had been reached in Florence. Last spring the legislature approved and the Governor signed HB-1344 which permits sales tax increases of up to two percent beyond the 6.9 percent limit if used exclusively for public safety. Sheriff Beicker said with state authority now in place, voters will be asked to approve the half-cent sales tax increase to raise about $1.7 million per year.
He said the money raised will help meet the state mandate to operate the jail. Beicker says the reality is that even while his department is getting set to open the new 96 bed jail addition, revenue from leasing some beds will last only a couple of years until Fremont County needs that bed space for its own inmates. Without additional revenue from the sales tax Beicker says money would have to be taken from other county services to keep the jail operating. Beicker says the money would also be used to address the same patrol needs listed a year ago to put more deputies on patrol in the county. Sheriff Beicker said "This would help fulfill our mandate. We want to provide what the citizens expect and deserve, standards recognized nationally. The alternative would lead to litigation and that would be quite a bit more expensive."
Commission Chairman Ed Norden said if the sales tax is passed the Commissioners expect to continue funding the Sheriff's budget at the same level it is now along with the new sales tax revenue, thus assuring citizens that funds would not be diverted elsewhere.
The Commissioners also referred to the ballot a property tax stabilization measure intended to capture some of the revenue developed through efforts by County Assessor Stacey Seifert to get properties on the tax rolls that were neglected the past five years. The ballot language proposes that without raising any new tax rates or mill levy the county would be allowed to collect its maximum 12.294 mills in property taxes established as the limit under the Tabor Amendment that was approved by voters in 1992. The measure calls for an eight year time out on the Tabor revenue limits on property taxes through tax year 2015.
Norden said that when voters rejected a mill levy increase for Road and Bridge maintenance last year citizens said that growth should pay for itself. Norden said this tax stabilization question does just that by allowing the maximum Tabor mill levy limit to be collected against the growth in new properties that the assessor is putting on the tax rolls. Commissioner Mike Stiehl said the Commissioners also felt it was important to place a sunset limit on the revenue issue so if it's reconsidered by voters in eight years they could measure what had been accomplished with the money. Commissioner Larry Lasha said the maintenance needs of the Road and Bridge Department have not gone away and that the county is continuing to face challenges of how to keep pace with costly road repairs and equipment.