GRANTS PASS, Ore.– The Grants Pass City Council is researching more ways to fund public safety after a recent food and beverage tax idea was not well-received by the community.
Last month, the city council directed staff to create two ordinances, a food and beverage tax and a monthly utility fee in an effort to close a $3 million funding gap for public safety.
Many local restaurant owners and workers showed up to protest, claiming the 3% ‘meals’ tax unfairly targeted the food industry.
This week, the council said it is considering a tax that would target big businesses, similar to a tax that is already in place in Portland.
Finance Director J.C. Rowley said, “all businesses with total sales of $1 billion or more and Portland sales of $500,000 or more are reported on the combined tax return.”
The proposed transactional tax would be a 1% surcharge on retail gross revenue within the city.
Mayor Sara Bristol said the council wants to find a solution for public safety funding by July.
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