One Cent Tax Successful

Park County residents may save an extra penny or two sooner than expected.
In November of 2016, the one percent specific purpose sales tax was approved by Park County voters. Its intent was to fund $13.68 million dollars’ worth of projects – once that amount was raised, the tax would go away. Officials estimated that it would take about 2 and a half years to collect the money – but according to an article in the Powell Tribune, that estimated date could be moved up by as much as six months.
Park County Treasurer Barb Poley told the Tribune that the funds could be raised as early as the end of March, in which case, the local sales and use tax rate would drop from 5 percent to four percent beginning in April.
53 percent of voters approved the one cent tax in 2016, which was set to fund the City of Cody’s sewer lagoon upgrades, add wheelchair ramps to sidewalks and chip seal streets; the City of Powell was set to receive money to widen and improve Absaroka Street; the Town of Meeteetse would be able to overhaul their sewer lagoons; and Park County would be able to fund an upgrade to the South Fork Road, and replace two bridges and a box culvert.
The Tribune notes that from April 1, 2017 through last month, nearly $10.65 million had been collected. If people in Park County keep buying and selling at exactly the same pace as they did last year, nearly $13.93 million will be collected by the end of March 2019.