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GRANTS PASS Grants Pass sales tax getting hammered in the court of public opinion Comment By Jules Rogers Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Jules Rogers Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Oct. 22, 2015 at 4:37 PM By Jules Rogers Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Oct. 22, 2015 at 4:37 PM » Social News Now that the ballots for Measure 17-67 are in the hands of voters, it's clear from all the "Stop the Local Sales Tax" signs downtown that the proposal faces stiff opposition from much of the local business community. In writing the measure, the City Council hoped to find a solution to permanently fund public safety after four consecutive property tax levies failed to pass countywide. The language of the 2 percent sales tax measure speaks to the council's frustration. But what about city voters? The Daily Courier went to the Growers' Market last Saturday to test the pulse of the citizenry, and the results, though unscientific, were not encouraging for city officials. Dale Gleason, a city resident, questioned City Hall's transparency and said the council did not do enough to sell the idea that the money will be used to increase public safety. "Come on, everybody thinks the same thing," he said. "It's a slippery slope," added Sharon Gleason. "It's difficult to see where the money's going." Jan Burke said she had just dropped off her ballot — Election Day is still two weeks off — and that her vote was a "resounding no." "We're just not into it. I'm real leery of our city, and that's how I feel," added her husband, Ron Burke. "Every time the council added a levy, we voted for it. This (a sales tax) isn't fair." If passed, the measure would enact a 2 percent sales tax on retail stores and restaurants in Grants Pass starting July 1, 2016 — with many exemptions, such as for groceries and other items considered to be necessities. Although Ashland and Yachats have a sales tax on restaurants, the measure would be the first general retail sales tax in Oregon, one of only five states in the country that does not have a statewide sales tax. The tax is projected to generate about $8 million annually, eliminating the supplemental public safety property tax levy of $1.79 per $1,000 of assessed value that must be renewed every few years (currently set to expire in 2017), as well as a monthly utility fee of $2.84 per residence that pays for additional jail beds at the understaffed Josephine County Jail. In addition to police services and jail beds, city officials say the new revenue would provide enough money to help pay for criminal prosecution and reopen the detention center at the county-owned Juvenile Justice Center. The detention and shelter portions of the Juvenile Justice Center have been closed since 2012 due to budget cuts. Although city officials insist homeowners would see a net savings with the elimination of the supplemental levy, patrons at the Growers' Market were in a mood to explore alternate solutions to the city's public safety funding woes. "I'm not for it," said Rebecca Anderson, a city resident who thinks the sales tax is a Band-Aid solution. "It's a very complex situation." "Yes, we need police, but if we haven't stopped the cause of crime, we're at the end of the problem, not the beginning," Anderson continued. "Address the homeless. I believe in putting resources into the root of the problem that's causing the crime." Others polled Saturday said they would rather see City Council focus on solving homelessness, poverty, unemployment and economic problems. Some even said that rather than ban all forms of marijuana commerce, as the council has done, the city should allow dispensaries and then tax sales of pot as a solution to the public safety funding. "The council should go to cannabis meetings and see they're missing out on the economic solution to all our problems," said Charles Utley, a Grants Pass retiree. Election Day is Nov. 3. Voters living in the city have two weeks to turn in their ballots. Reach reporter Jules Rogers at 541-474-3813 or [email protected] By Jules Rogers Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Jules Rogers Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Oct. 22, 2015 at 4:37 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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