No public comment at hearing on proposed 1% sales tax

MANTI—The Sanpete County Commission held a public hearing Tuesday, June 30, on a proposed resolution that would allow voters to decide in November whether to approve a 1% sales and use tax to help fund first responders (including police, fire and EMTs) and the countywide 911 dispatch center.

The hearing following earlier hearings in Gunnison and Mt. Pleasant. Approximately 10 residents attended the Manti hearing, but no one offered public comment.

Commission Chair Mike Bennett said the proposed 1% sales and use tax would apply to eligible taxable purchases under Utah law. Most non-food retail purchases would be subject to the additional tax, while many grocery food items would remain exempt.

The tax also would apply to prepared food, which is mostly ready-to-eat items sold in convenience stores, and certain bundled food purchases. These are already taxable under state law.

Officials said the measure is expected to generate between $450,000 and $500,000 annually. County officials estimate that as much as 22% of the revenue would come from visitors making purchases in Sanpete County.

“We have a few mandates,” said Neil Johnson, dispatch center director. One is a requirement to have two dispatchers on duty at all times. “We’ve been a one-person dispatch center for a while, so we’re moving to a two-person dispatch center.”

Johnson also said the state now requires every public safety answering point to communicate with every other dispatch center through a compatible computer-aided dispatch system.

“We have had to purchase a new…system to meet that standard,” he said. “That added $175,000 to our budget….Our budget’s increased quite a bit over the last year to meet all these mandates that have come out and to increase our staff. With the budget increase, we are looking for help to fund the center through this tax.”

Following the hearing, Bennett emphasized that commissioners were not voting on the tax itself. “This is just to start the process to put it on the ballot,” he said.

County Attorney Kevin Daniels said the commission is expected to consider adopting a resolution Aug. 18 that would place the proposed sales tax increase before voters.