Resort tax isn’t right for Polson
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Editor,
The residents of Polson will soon be voting on a resort sales tax of three percent on many goods that we purchase every day. Most of this tax will be paid by residents of Polson and not tourists.
As a legislator, I believe that Polson does not meet the requirement to be designated as a resort community. The city does meet the population limit of 5,500 people, but I don’t believe that Polson meets the requirement that its primary economic activity (jobs) is from employment related to tourism.
In May of 2008, the Montana Department of Commerce first told Polson that they did not qualify as a resort community. Then, at the request of the city to re-evaluate, the department did a complete turnaround saying Polson did qualify. I have not been able to obtain information from 2008 as to why the original decision was reversed. The law also states that the department should use “current” information in their determination, however, they used information from 2008.
Due to Polson being located on the Flathead Reservation, tribal members will not be subject to paying the tax. This will create a burden for our business owners along with inconveniencing tribal members as they shop in Polson. Tribal businesses will also not be required to collect taxes on any sales thus creating an unfair advantage and animosity in our community.
Some of the items that will be taxed include restaurant food and beverages, fast food, food intended for immediate consumption, soda, candy, jerky, donuts, food at fraternal organizations (Elks and VFW), movies, rodeos, golf activities, tobacco, alcohol served and unserved and many other items. A complete list can be found on the City of Polson website.
This tax was not meant for non-resort areas like Polson.
Greg Hertz
Polson
