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Show THE ZEPHYR PAGE 10 JULY 1990 the mayor speaks an interview with Tom Stocks an interview with Moab City Mayor, Tom Stocks. The Interview has been edited for clarity and length. Ken Davey conducted and other members of the Independent Party began a petition the campaign spring of this year to abolish the collection of sales tax on groceries. Restaurant food and other prepared meals would continue to be taxed. Some of the state sales tax Is returned to local communities. In addition, Moab and may other municipalities also collect a gross business license fee, popularly known as the local sales tax. families Sales tax Is generally referred to as a regressive tax. In that ht never states have Thirty-eiga of their than the salaries pay higher percentage wealthy. had or have abolished tax on groceries. Many tourist areas, such as Moab, collect a significant percentage of their revenues from sales tax on visitors. Merrill Cook In low-inco- me Zephyr: The city council has spent six weeks discussing a budget for the fiscal year beginning In July 1990. The council virtually abolished contributions to outside organizations. Is that a good Idea? Tom: This particular city council has been, In my opinion, a good one. They gave a lot of consideration to points brought to them. They are more Hberal than I would be, they gave away more last year than I would have. This year, they spent less In some areas than I would have. I went with the Idea that If things are going to pop In tills town, we should Jump a In, get larger planning department I had some Indications the council thought the same way. popped up since we first started talking about the budget was the sales lose $100,000, $200,000 with the gross business license fee, where Is the council? Should we be giving money away when we could be very short come spring? Zephyr: What do vou think of the sales tax Initiative? Tom: I feel strongly that the public has a right to hold referendum ballots. If they don't want a particular tax, I don't have any objection to voting on It When they do, they need to know what the effects will be on a community our size. With all the outside people coming through . People In Moab have to go out of town for clothing and other tilings, because there Isn't a market here. What Is being sold are the essentials of life, which Is food. If you quit collecting revenues on food sales, do you cut services or do you collect another tax? This governing body, and Ive encouraged It, has decreased property tax. In 1982, the city collected $227,000 In property tax. With Inflation, 3 or 4 percent I a year for 9 years, you have an Increase up to about $300,000. This year we are budgeting But what tax Initiative. If we to collect $155,000. We are collecting about half of the past property tax rate from the people within the city limits from what we got before I took office. In turn, weve been collecting on the gross business license foe (local sales tax) so that people who don't live In the city and tourists pay to help defray the cost of services. Ive always felt that was a proper approach. Zephyr: The Initiative comes up for a vote In S months. How do vou recommend Vote? people Tom: Im not going to tell people how to vote. Zephyr: Then how will vou vote? Tom: Well, I think It's one of the fairest taxes, and I'm Inclined to vote to keep It I'd rather see It there than on property. Families who eat more expensive food pay more tax. And everybody pays the tax, there are no loopholes. Rich people, poor people alike, they are both paying, based on the quantity of the food they eat So If you eat steak every night, you pay a higher tax than I do. I eat beans, or soup. I think Its a fair tax. Zephyr: Members of the cltv council have said they fear that If the Initiative passes, other taxes will have to be raised. Can the city survive without the tax on groceries? Tom: We can maintain what we have. But when you have city employees and youve been holding back on glvlng'them raises, when you cut the staff by half, and have them do the same amount of work, or more- -a cut In revenues means they cant keep up with the cost of living, or you are going to overwork them. I hate to guess what will happen In the future. But If the town grows, we can get some revenues. New structures go up, we collect more property tax. Zephyr: There has been some talk of a fee on tours that leave from town. Is that a good Idea? Tom: User fees are what we are talking about, and I think user fees are the way the nation Is going. People who use something should pay for It But we cant do It without the cooperation of others around us, and that Involves the counties, Grand, San Juan and Emery. If the state or counties would charge a foe that goes to local governments, offsetting the Impact of visitors, then that would be a better way to tax. But the city cant do that There are others with the control, the power to do that. Wherever the activity Is, Is where the foe should go. The tours arent tours of Moab. The bicycle trails arent In Moab. The Jeep trails arent In Moab. All the activities you mention take place In the county, so the county would be the logical place to apply a fee. The city alone cant do that We can put user foes on some things, and we're doing that now. Garbage, water and sewers, the swimming pool. Use of the parks could be by fees. They are, to a degree now. So the city Is doing what It can. Zephyr: But those foes are aimed at residents, not visitors. Tom: Well, the swimming pool. A lot of visitors use It, and pay for It Zephyr: On the cleanup of the gas plume on 3rd South: whats the stage of It? Tom: I'm not sure of all the details. We get regular reports from the state. Zephyr: Is the state doing things? Tom: Oh, yes. Right now, we have a contract from Delta Engineering, a firm In Colorado Springs, to use, with an Impact fee, the sewage treatment filant to get rid of the residue from the Stars Food portion of the problem. The other ones are doing theirs with a separator down near City Market Groups are working on the problem. To what degree It's cleaned up, I dont know. But It has been moving right along. I've been In touch with James Montgomery and Al Anderson for a review of all the paperwork on what Delta Engineering wants to da We have been monitoring the product for three months now, deciding whether we should accept It Into the sewage treatment plant Actually, It seems like It has less particulates In It than normal runoff on the street from a service station. 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