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Mayor Robb’s Attempt To Lower Bethel Sales Tax Fails

Dean Swope/KYUK

Mayor Rick Robb’s third attempt to lower Bethel’s sales tax rate has failed. At Tuesday’s Bethel City Council meeting, Mayor Robb proposed lowering Bethel’s sales tax from 6 percent, to 5.75 percent.

 

 

Mayor Robb’s proposal was in response to the Council’s 2014 decision to increase water and sewage rates. He said that made water and sewage rates rise by about 30 to 50 percent per household. The Water and Sewer Fund had historically lost anywhere from $400,000 to $600,000 a year, said the Mayor. And while he initially voted for that increase, he said he also made it known at the time that he would seek to offset that cost to Bethel residents by lowering sales taxes in the future.

 

Bethel City Council member Leif Albertson didn’t see the funds adding up and thought it wouldn’t be prudent to change the city's revenue before they finish the 2018 budget.

 

Needing four votes to pass, the motion to introduce the sales tax cut failed on a vote of three to two. Council members Leif Albertson and Mark Springer opposed.