City Council: Sales and Use Tax to Be Used for Essentials Only
Written by Andrew-Rossi on September 3, 2020
If it passes, Cody’s sales tax will go right back into Cody.
At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, City Administrator Barry Cook presented Resolution NO. 2020-17 – A Resolution Obligating One Percent General Purpose Tax for Essential Services and Capital Expenditures Only.
The General Purpose 1% Sales and Use Tax is on the ballot for November’s general election, that much is for certain. Cook’s goal was to define how that money will be used should Cody’s voters approve the measure.
If passed, the money would only be used for essential services, such as
- School Resource Officers
- Public Safety and Maintenance – Vehicles and Equipment
- Annual funding for the Cody Senior Center, Park County Animal Shelter, and 4th of July festivities
- Building maintenance and facility upgrades
- Expanding and improving public parking
- Replacing and updating outdated equipment in parks and facilities
- A 50/50 sidewalk program, where costs for new sidewalks are shared with property owners
- Asphalt overlaying major streets rather than just chip sealing
- Extending Cougar Avenue to the east of Freedom Street
- Continuing repairs to streets and rights-of-ways in the form of pothole repairs, paint striping, signage, patching and chip sealing
City council-members were overall favorable towards the resolution, regardless of their opinion on the tax itself. Council President Landon Greer voiced his approval of Cook’s resolution, approving of the intended plan for this extra funding should it become available and that it wouldn’t be used frivolously on things like employee raises or unnecessary purchases.
When Mayor Matt Hall put the resolution up for a vote, it carried unanimously in favor.
Now, its up to the residents of Cody to decide on the future of the General Purpose 1% Sales and Use Tax.
