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Sales-Tax moratorium proposed
By Pat Hill
Moratorium or no moratorium, that’s the question bandied about these day by Woodland Park business owners. In a meeting June 25 hosted by Chamber of Commerce president Debbie Miller, a few proprietors weighed in on the issue.
The owners were commenting on a proposal by city councilor, Betty Clark-Wine, that businesses suspend the 3 percent sales tax for two days, perhaps in August. The hit to the city coffers would be about $22,000.
Among the questions posed were about marketing the idea, as in who pays for the advertising. What about opting out of the moratorium? Stores opting out would send a negative message, particularly for tourists who hear about the moratorium and drive to the city to shop, Clark-Wine said.
Jamie Caperton, co-owner of Charitable Treasures, agreed, adding that 40 percent of the store’s customer come from outside the area.
However, if the council decides to pass an ordinance, then opting out would not be an option, said city manager David Buttery.
Most of the discussion centered on a survey sent to businesses by the chamber. As of last week, 65 people had responded. At least one owner lamented the failure of a 10-percent-off promotion and questioned how a sales-tax moratorium would be any more effective.
Most agreed that the best moratorium would be one that exempts all products from the sales tax. Another issue to be considered is the number of stores open on Sunday. At that, Buttery suggested holding the moratorium Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
As for the timeframe, some felt the weekend before school starts in August would yield the most results.
The big gorilla in the issue is Walmart whose manager Adam Lindner advised refining the objective — is it to offer tax relief or to generate more business. “If it’s to get more people up here, the blanket [across-the-board tax exemptions] option would be better,” he said.
Whatever the city decides, Walmart is in, Lindner said.
For Rapid Lube owners Carol and Gary Selby, the moratorium wouldn’t really affect business, negatively or positively. Each felt that opening on Sunday is not an option.
In foot-patrol duty, Miller gathered information from business owners last week as an addition to the survey. Some suggested approaching Teller County official to see if they’d kick in a moratorium on the county’s 1 percent sales tax.
Nationwide, 17 states hold sales-tax moratorium weekends. However, one is opting out, Miller said, due to the poor economy.
Information gathered from the survey, the conversations as well as the meeting will be presented to the city council July 2.
The owners were commenting on a proposal by city councilor, Betty Clark-Wine, that businesses suspend the 3 percent sales tax for two days, perhaps in August. The hit to the city coffers would be about $22,000.
Among the questions posed were about marketing the idea, as in who pays for the advertising. What about opting out of the moratorium? Stores opting out would send a negative message, particularly for tourists who hear about the moratorium and drive to the city to shop, Clark-Wine said.
Jamie Caperton, co-owner of Charitable Treasures, agreed, adding that 40 percent of the store’s customer come from outside the area.
However, if the council decides to pass an ordinance, then opting out would not be an option, said city manager David Buttery.
Most of the discussion centered on a survey sent to businesses by the chamber. As of last week, 65 people had responded. At least one owner lamented the failure of a 10-percent-off promotion and questioned how a sales-tax moratorium would be any more effective.
Most agreed that the best moratorium would be one that exempts all products from the sales tax. Another issue to be considered is the number of stores open on Sunday. At that, Buttery suggested holding the moratorium Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
As for the timeframe, some felt the weekend before school starts in August would yield the most results.
The big gorilla in the issue is Walmart whose manager Adam Lindner advised refining the objective — is it to offer tax relief or to generate more business. “If it’s to get more people up here, the blanket [across-the-board tax exemptions] option would be better,” he said.
Whatever the city decides, Walmart is in, Lindner said.
For Rapid Lube owners Carol and Gary Selby, the moratorium wouldn’t really affect business, negatively or positively. Each felt that opening on Sunday is not an option.
In foot-patrol duty, Miller gathered information from business owners last week as an addition to the survey. Some suggested approaching Teller County official to see if they’d kick in a moratorium on the county’s 1 percent sales tax.
Nationwide, 17 states hold sales-tax moratorium weekends. However, one is opting out, Miller said, due to the poor economy.
Information gathered from the survey, the conversations as well as the meeting will be presented to the city council July 2.
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