Page 8 - Flathead Beacon // 4.8.15

8 | APRIL 8, 2015 NEWS
FLATHEADBEACON.COM
Just
Sayin’...
“I think it’s
obviously a problem that needs fixing. If you want to attract good applicants, you have to pay them.”
Jason Snyder, a former state game warden; Montana is having trouble retaining game wardens and 12 of the 75 positions were vacant this winter.
“Employers aren’t laying people off. What they’ve decided to do is slow down the pace at which they’re hiring until they have more confidence.”
Patrick O’Keefe, director of economic research at the accounting and consulting firm CohnReznick, reacting to March’s national employment figures.
“Overall, our precipitation was above average, but we’ve been getting rain instead of snow.”
National Weather Service hydrologist Ray Nickless in Missoula, explaining the state’s unusual winter.
Vehicles cross the Armed Forces Memorial Bridge into Polson.
BEACON FILE PHOTO
Polson Commission Eyes Resort Tax
City will consider asking voters in November if they want a local option sales tax
By JUSTIN FRANZ of the Beacon
The Polson City Commission is con- sidering asking residents in November if it should implement a local resort tax to help pay for infrastructure improvements.
On March 23, the city commission cre- ated an economic development commit- tee to consider the optional sales tax. The tax is usually placed on lodging, food and drink from restaurants and other “luxu- ry” items. Whitefish has had a 2 percent resort tax since 1996 and since then it has brought in more than $25 million to the city for road improvements and property tax relief. In 2014, it brought in an addi- tional $2 million to the community.
“We’re open minded about it at this point,” said Polson Mayor Heather Knut- son. “The committee will look at it and see what type of positive or negative impacts it could have... (Then) the decision rests
in the hands of the citizens and the voters will decide.”
West Yellowstone was the first town in Montana to implement a local option sales tax after the Montana Legislature passed House Bill 826 in 1985. The bill allows re- sort towns of 5,500 people or less to cre- ate a tax to help offset the wear and tear on roads and infrastructure brought on by visitors. The Montana Department of Com- merce determines whether a town is a re- sort community and if a significant part of its economy relies on tourism. The sales tax rate can’t exceed 3 percent and must be ap- proved by voters within the community.
In 1995, Whitefish voters approved a sales tax on lodging and luxury items. The tax was originally supposed to end in 2015 but has since been extended anoth- er 10 years. City Manager Chuck Stearns said the tax has grown in popularity with voters and it has helped the city complete much-needed improvements, including the recent road reconstruction project on Second Avenue, just east of town. Sixty- five percent of the funds are used forstreet and road reconstruction and 25 percent goes toward property tax relief. The other
10 percent is split between parks and trails maintenance and vendors who get to keep 5 percent of the tax for administrative costs.
Whitefish’s resort tax is current- ly at 2 percent, but this month voters will consider raising it to 3 percent to help pay for a conservation easement in Haskill Basin to permanently protect the town’s water supply.
Knutson said that the economic de- velopment committee in Polson would be looking at Whitefish and other communi- ties that have implemented resort taxes. The committee will consist of seven peo- ple, mostly from the local business com- munity. Those who are interested in serv- ing on the committee should send an appli- cation to the city by April 13 and the mem- bers will be selected during the April 20 city commission meeting. The first meet- ing of the committee is scheduled for April 27 and a public hearing will be held some- time in May. After that the committee will make a recommendation to the city com- mission on whether to put the issue on the November ballot.
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