| Nibley
council approves CVTD tax increase By
Kelsey Koenen
October 22, 2007 | NIBLEY -- Councilmen splurged Thursday
night with unanimous votes regarding a sales tax increase
and a consultant who will cost up to $30,000 for land
ordinance review.
Nibley city has chosen to jump on board with the sales
tax increase of .05 percent for transit. Cache Valley
Transit District general manager Todd Beutler addressed
the council, explaining his hopes that other cities
in the district would soon be voting the same.
"We're going around every other city in our district
to keep it at a revenue neutral decision," Beutler said.
Among other cities, Beutler mentioned Park City which
has already adopted, Millville and Hyrum which would
be voting that same night, and Smithfield possibly voting
next week. Beutler said their goal was eventually that
all cities would be at the same rate.
Citizens in the audience questioned the possibility
that if once the vote was taken and other cities did
not approve, would they be able to vote themselves out
of it. Beutler confirmed that they could.
Beutler explained that the Legislature ran projections
for this percentage increase from .25 percent to .30
percent to ensure it would be appropriately effective.
Without the change, CVTD would experience a net loss
of over $200,000 not including oil, tires, and other
items similar to those.
In other business, City Manager Larry Anhder addressed
the need for a consultant to review the writing of new
land ordinances. Recommended to Anhder was James Carter
of Logan Simpson Design Company, who is currently consulting
Farmington in Davis County as well.
Carter is an attorney and consultant by trade. Anhder
anticipates doing the drafts themselves, using templates
from Farmington, and then sending them to Carter for
review. Carter will be paid $132 an hour.
"We need that experience, and that expertise, and
that background," Anhder said. Farmington is currently
going through the updates of their ordinances and, according
to Anhder, was very willing to share their consultant.
An amendment was then made by Councilman Thayne Mickelson
to put a limit for review with the council before more
than $10,000 is spent. The vote in favor of the amendment
was unanimous and the consultant was budgeted for with
roughly $25,000 until July.
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