Washington City voters to decide sales tax for emergency services

Washington City voters will decide in November on Proposition 5, a 0.67% sales tax that would help pay for fire protection, emergency services and ambulance response, FOX 13 reported. ^[1]

Washington City Council Member Kurt Ivie told FOX 13 the tax would exclude fuel, medication and groceries, with the aim of having visitors pay for the emergency services they use. He said the proposal also includes a 50% cut to the Washington City portion of residents' property tax. ^[1]

Santa Clara-Ivins Fire and Rescue Chief Dan Cazier said the area sees about 1.3 million visitors a year at Snow Canyon and Gunlock state parks and about a hundred car crashes a year, and that the money would pay for more firefighters. According to FOX 13, Santa Clara and Washington City already passed a 0.33% tax, and the new one would bring the total to 1%. ^[1]

Washington City resident Kim Barry told FOX 13 she does not think taxes need to go up, but said that if they do, the money should go where it is meant to go. ^[1]

Washington City's public notice set a Feb. 25 City Council hearing on the existing 0.33% emergency services sales and use tax, to be spent on emergency medical services, fire protection, ambulance services and the staff, equipment and facilities behind them. ^[2]