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Show A-6 Wed/Thurs/Fri, October 2-4, 2019 The Park Record VOTED PARK CITY’S BEST STEAK HOUSE 6 YEARS IN A ROW! Airbnb to begin collecting sales tax in Breckenridge in deal with town Company to act as go-between for city, customers TAYLOR SIENKIEWICZ Summit Daily JOIN US THIS FALL ! Enjoy 2 for 1 Entrees thru 10/31/19 840 Main Street, Park City 435.655.9739 • primeparkcity.com BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. — In February 2017, Airbnb began collecting sales taxes for the state of Colorado, which was formerly a job given to the hosts. However, all four towns in Summit County — Breckenridge, Dillon, Frisco and Silverthorne — are home-rule municipalities, which means Airbnb must have a separate agreement with each town, signed by each town’s council, in order to collect town taxes. More than two years after the initial agreement with the state of Colorado, Breckenridge became the second town in Summit County, after Silverthorne, to enter into an agreement with Airbnb on this issue. This agreement took effect Tuesday, Oct. 1. As stated in the company’s press release, the agreement states that Airbnb “will begin collecting and remitting the town’s 3.4% Public Accommodation Tax and the 2.5% Sales LIZ COPAN/SUMMIT DAILY A Summit County, Colorado, resident browses Airbnb listings from a mobile phone on Sept. 16. Tax on behalf of its hosts and guests on all short-term stays of less than 29 days.” Those who book an Airbnb reservation will be charged taxes when they book, and Airbnb will provide the town of Breckenridge with the taxes collected. Currently, Airbnb collects the Colorado sales tax, the Summit County sales tax and the Summit Combined Housing Authority’s multijurisdictional housing authority tax. Now, instead of Breck- enridge hosts collecting and remitting the public accommodation and sales taxes for Breckenridge, Airbnb will do so on the hosts’ behalf. Since these taxes already were being collected, guests will not be paying additional taxes as a result of this agreement when they book an Airbnb. The Denver Post reported that these agreements may bring more money to municipalities as not all hosts remit the taxes they collect, but Les- lie Fischer, accounting services manager for the town of Breckenridge, said this is not the case in Breckenridge. “We already have a very high rate of compliance in the short-term rental sector, so more than anything, it’s more of a customer service to the tax payers,” Fischer said in reference to the hosts who otherwise would have to navigate tax collection and remittance. Fischer said short-term rental tax collection has been a standard, organized practice in Breckenridge for a long time, which is why they have found high rates of compliance. However, Fischer explained that the way hosts had to collect and remit taxes through Airbnb could be confusing and inconvenient, so the agreement simply makes things easier for hosts. Fischer also added that Breckenridge will be collecting taxes only from hosts whose properties are within town limits. She said some hosts receive letters about the agreement from Airbnb who are in unincorporated parts of the town. These hosts will not be subject to Breckenridge taxes and are encouraged to notify Airbnb that they are not located within Breckenridge town limits. Acting head of Interior Department pledges to steer clear of ex-clients Pendley ran a pro-energy law firm for years MATTHEW BROWN BRADY MCCOMBS Associated Press BILLINGS, Mont. — The Trump administration’s top steward of public lands has recused himself from work involving dozens of former clients following conflict of interest allegations from Democratic lawmakers and environmental advocates, federal officials disclosed Wednesday. Acting Bureau of Land Management Director William “Perry” Pendley is a former property rights attorney who has argued for selling off public lands and railed against what he has labelled the “tyranny” of the federal government. Pendley said in a Wednesday email to his staff obtained by The Associated Press that he wanted to set an example for the agency’s 9,000 employees by avoiding the potential conflicts. He agreed not to participate in matters involving 57 entities and individuals — from farming and mining organizations to an energy company seek- 2-for-1 Dining GLITRETIND RESTAURANT at Stein Eriksen Lodge Reservations: (435) 645-6455 www.steinlodge.com/dining ing to drill on land adjacent to Glacier National Park, according to documents released by officials. “I understand that preserving a culture of ethical compliance within the BLM begins with me,” Pendley wrote. “I have also established a rigorous screening process to ensure that I will remain in full compliance.” The recusals are generally effective for two years and retroactive to the date of his mid-July appointment. Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester of Montana has sharply criticized Pendley’s past calls to sell off public lands and called his appointment an endrun around the Senate because no confirmation hearings were held. Tester said in a statement that Pendley’s recusal from decisions related to a disputed energy lease in Montana was a “positive step,” but more answers were needed about his record. Others in Congress have voiced similar concerns. “The fact remains that he has repeatedly advocated for selling off our public lands to the highest bidder, which should have disqualified him outright from leading the BLM,” Tester said. The BLM leader said last month that his longtime advocacy for selling public lands was irrelevant because his boss, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, opposes the wholesale sale of public lands. The Trump administration already has moved to weaken protections for public lands, including easing restrictions on oil and gas exploration. BLM officials last week said the agency was moving its headquarters from Washington to an office building in Colorado that also houses oil and gas organizations, drawing criticism from environmental groups. Among Pendley’s past clients when he ran the conservative Mountain States Legal Foundation was Solenex LLC, a Louisiana-based energy company that has been seeking to drill in the remote and mountainous Badger-Two Medicine area of northwestern Montana. The Badger-Two-Medicine area is considered sacred to the Blackfoot tribes of the U.S. and Canada, and Solenex is fighting in court against the Interior Department’s attempts to cancel an energy lease that the company has held for decades. Tribal officials still hope to work with the Trump administration on the issue, but Pendley’s recusals do not eliminate their apprehensions, said John Murray, historic preservation officer for Montana’s Blackfeet Nation. “He was 100 percent on the other side of the table,” Murray said. “These guys do all kinds of lobbying and meeting and all this stuff behind closed doors.” The lengthy recusal list touches on some of the BLM’s major oversight responsibilities, naming organizations such as the National Mining Association and several state farm bureaus. Agency spokesman Jeff Krauss said that would not prevent Pendley from effectively leading the bureau. Three southern Utah counties that supported President Donald Trump’s downsizing of two sprawling national monuments in the state also appear on the list. He was the attorney representing San Juan, Kane and Garfield counties when they sought to intervene in lawsuits by conservation and tribal groups challenging the president’s actions. A Pendley supporter in the state said criticisms of his past affiliations were unfair and that environmental groups would never be happy because they don’t want anyone to touch public lands. “He’s exactly what the BLM needs: A person that will manage public lands for the original purpose of multiple use,” Utah cattle rancher and Garfield County Commissioner Leland Pollock said. TREES TREES TREES Spectacular Fall Clearance Including All Flowering Trees From our fields to your home Layton Landscaping and Layton Tree Farm Locally Grown in High Altitude Spruce 6-18ft Tall (Spruce, Pines, Fir, Swedish Aspens, and MORE!) Extended Section of Deciduous Trees (Aspens, Maple, Flowering, and MORE!) Valid now through 12/6/19 at Troll Hallen and Glitretind Restaurant. Cash not accepted. For dine-in only. Buy one entrée, get the second of equal or lesser value for free. 20% gratuity will be added to original amount. Excludes Sunday brunch. Best Price • Best Quality • Best Service Mention this ad and receive an additional 10% Must present coupon. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer, nightly special, or special event. Call Larry Layton • 435-640-2203 Get info, scores, play-by-play updates for Park City, North and South Summit high schools. Follow here for all things sports in Summit County. |