Iowa City Council Indicates Support for Sales Tax
Iowa City Council indicates support for sales tax
Voters will see request for increase in November ballot
Published: June 17 2014 | 6:00 pm - Updated: 17 June 2014 | 7:45 pm
in City Council, Government, Government Rotator, Iowa City, News,
3
7
0
(The Gazette)
What exactly they’ll be asked to spend the money on remains to be seen, however.
The Iowa City Council at a work session Tuesday night discussed sending a 1 percent local-option sales tax referendum to voters this fall.
They did not formally move forward, but a majority of council members indicated they support a referendum.
“We’re excited and we want to hear the details,” council member Rick Dobyns said.
The council will discuss it again at upcoming meetings, and a resolution putting the measure on the Nov. 4 ballot must be approved by the end of August.
Because it has more than half of Johnson County’s population, Iowa City has the power to call for the referendum. Residents in other towns in the county and the unincorporated area also would vote on it.
The local-option sales tax, or LOST, would take the sales tax in jurisdictions that pass it to 7 percent from the current 6 percent.
It would generate approximately $20 million anually for Johnson County governments to divvy up, including $9 million to $12 million for Iowa City, depending on which jurisdictions approved it, according to Iowa City.
Iowa City and its bordering towns – Coralville, North Liberty, University Heights and Tiffin – would vote together and the combined votes in favor would have to surpass 50 percent for the measure to pass.
Communities can decide for themselves how they would spend the sales tax revenue they receive.
Coralville and North Liberty leaders have said their city councils still need to discuss the issue.
By Gregg Hennigan, The Gazette
By Gregg Hennigan, The Gazette
By Gregg Hennigan, The GazetteBy B
By Greg Hennigan, The Gazette
IOWA CITY – Johnson County voters
should count on seeing a request for increasing the sales tax on November’s
ballot. What exactly they’ll be asked to spend the money on remains to be seen,
however. The Iowa City Council at a work session Tuesday night discussed
sending a 1 percent local-option sales tax referendum to
voters this fall.They did not formally move forward, but a majority of council
members indicated they support a referendum.
“We’re excited and we want to hear
the details,” council member Rick Dobyns said. The council will discuss it
again at upcoming meetings, and a resolution putting the measure on the Nov. 4 ballot
must be approved by the end of August.
Because it has more than half of
Johnson County’s population, Iowa City has the power to call for the
referendum. Residents in other towns in the county and the unincorporated area
also would vote on it. The local-option sales tax, or LOST, would take the
sales tax in jurisdictions that pass it to 7 percent from the current 6 percent.
It would generate approximately $20 million annually for Johnson County
governments to divvy up, including $9 million to $12 million for Iowa City,
depending on which jurisdictions approved it, according to Iowa City.
Iowa City and its bordering towns –
Coralville, North Liberty, University Heights and Tiffin – would vote together
and the combined votes in favor would have to surpass 50 percent for the
measure to pass. Communities can decide for themselves how they would spend the
sales tax revenue they receive.
What this means for U-Heights is that we will have this measure on our November ballots, we don't have any say on that, it is controlled by Iowa City. The final paragraph I included above explains that if the measure passes in the combined area We WOULD have control over how our University Heights portion would be spent. This is different than in 2009 when every city voted independently and could pass the measure independently. Currently there are no places in town that would collect this tax, but we would pay it for any purchases (excluding notably food and medical expenses) that were made in the county if it passes.
I'm sure we will hear much more about the philosophical and politcal aspects of this issue, (and there are many) in the days to come.
Iowa City Council indicates support for sales tax
Voters will see request for increase in November ballot
Published: June 17 2014 | 6:00 pm - Updated: 17 June 2014 | 7:45 pm
in City Council, Government, Government Rotator, Iowa City, News,
3
7
0
(The Gazette)
What exactly they’ll be asked to spend the money on remains to be seen, however.
The Iowa City Council at a work session Tuesday night discussed sending a 1 percent local-option sales tax referendum to voters this fall.
They did not formally move forward, but a majority of council members indicated they support a referendum.
“We’re excited and we want to hear the details,” council member Rick Dobyns said.
The council will discuss it again at upcoming meetings, and a resolution putting the measure on the Nov. 4 ballot must be approved by the end of August.
Because it has more than half of Johnson County’s population, Iowa City has the power to call for the referendum. Residents in other towns in the county and the unincorporated area also would vote on it.
The local-option sales tax, or LOST, would take the sales tax in jurisdictions that pass it to 7 percent from the current 6 percent.
It would generate approximately $20 million anually for Johnson County governments to divvy up, including $9 million to $12 million for Iowa City, depending on which jurisdictions approved it, according to Iowa City.
Iowa City and its bordering towns – Coralville, North Liberty, University Heights and Tiffin – would vote together and the combined votes in favor would have to surpass 50 percent for the measure to pass.
Communities can decide for themselves how they would spend the sales tax revenue they receive.
Coralville and North Liberty leaders have said their city councils still need to discuss the issue.
Iowa City Council indicates support for sales tax
Voters will see request for increase in November ballot
Published: June 17 2014 | 6:00 pm - Updated: 17 June 2014 | 7:45 pm
in City Council, Government, Government Rotator, Iowa City, News,
3
7
0
(The Gazette)
What exactly they’ll be asked to spend the money on remains to be seen, however.
The Iowa City Council at a work session Tuesday night discussed sending a 1 percent local-option sales tax referendum to voters this fall.
They did not formally move forward, but a majority of council members indicated they support a referendum.
“We’re excited and we want to hear the details,” council member Rick Dobyns said.
The council will discuss it again at upcoming meetings, and a resolution putting the measure on the Nov. 4 ballot must be approved by the end of August.
Because it has more than half of Johnson County’s population, Iowa City has the power to call for the referendum. Residents in other towns in the county and the unincorporated area also would vote on it.
The local-option sales tax, or LOST, would take the sales tax in jurisdictions that pass it to 7 percent from the current 6 percent.
It would generate approximately $20 million anually for Johnson County governments to divvy up, including $9 million to $12 million for Iowa City, depending on which jurisdictions approved it, according to Iowa City.
Iowa City and its bordering towns – Coralville, North Liberty, University Heights and Tiffin – would vote together and the combined votes in favor would have to surpass 50 percent for the measure to pass.
Communities can decide for themselves how they would spend the sales tax revenue they receive.
Coralville and North Liberty leaders have said their city councils still need to discuss the issue.
