County leaders have expressed a desire to focus on what the sales tax would fund, rather than what happens if it doesn’t pass.
But without it, county leaders will have to decide whether to raise property taxes or cut county services.
The so-called emergency services sales tax is an up to 1% tax on purchases in Summit County, except on gas, prescriptions and groceries.
It could cover some big-ticket items in the county budget, like emergency medical services, waste disposal, police and fire.
But it’s up to voters whether the tax is adopted. The Summit County Council may decide to put the tax on the November ballot at its meeting July 17.
“Right now, of all sales tax paid in Summit County, a little north of 65% is paid for by people outside the county,” County Councilmember Canice Harte told Kamas City leaders at their July 9 city council meeting. In other words, there are fewer impacts on actual Summit County residents.
County Chief Financial Officer Matt Leavitt projects a 0.5% sales tax would raise $15 million. And that would cover the shortfall he says the county budget faces next fiscal year.
“Instead of one giant hit on their property taxes, they can pay pennies at a time, and we can accumulate the same amount of funds to support essential services within the county,” County Council Chair Malena Stevens said at the Park City Council July 11.
The full range of activities funded by an emergency services sales tax would include search and rescue, EMS, waste disposal, police, fire protection and avalanche forecasting.
After a change in state law in 2021, EMS has taken a $5 million chunk out of the county budget. The entire fiscal year 2024 budget was about $81 million.
It’s not clear yet which services would be on the chopping block without a new sales tax to make up the shortfall. But, the county council may ask Leavitt to draft two budgets this fall: one that includes the sales tax and one that doesn’t.
The council will discuss the sales tax and could vote to put it on the ballot at around 5:15 p.m. July 17. The meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. at the Sheldon Richins Building in Kimball Junction. Click here to attend online.
