ORD 2484 ORDINANCE NO ,
AN ORDINANCE amending Section 3 . 08 . 040 imposing the one -half
of one percent additional sales and use tax authorized pursuant to RCW
82 . 14 . 03 0 (2 ) .
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CAMAS DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS :
Section I
Section 3 . 08 .040 is hereby amended to provide as follows :
3 . 08 . 040 Additional tax - Rate .
The rate of tax imposed by Section 3 . 08 . 030 , which shall be in addition
to the rate of the tax imposed by Section 3 . 08 . 020 , shall be one - half of
one percent of the selling price ( in the case of a sales tax) or value of
the article used ( in the case of a use tax) ; provided , however , that in the
event Clark County shall impose a sales tax and use tax pursuant to
RCW 82 . 14 . 030 (2 ) at a rate equal to or greater than the rate imposed
under this section , then the county shall receive fifteen percent of the
city tax ; and provided further , that in the event that Clark County shall
impose a sales and use tax pursuant to RCW 82 . 14 . 030 (2 ) which is less
than the rate imposed under this section , then the county shall receive
that amount of revenues from the city tax equal to fifteen percent of the
rate of tax imposed by the county .
Section II
This ordinance shall take force and be in effect five ( 5 ) days from and after its publication
according to law .
PASSED b the Council and APPROVED b the Mayor this da of k ( 20070
y y y � y
SIGNED : a
Mayor
ATTEST .
t'
Clerk
APP VED as t o
Val
t
A orney
' collected by Camas businesses
Sales tax , and somewhere around $ 7, 500
() 7
From Page C1 collected by Yacolt businesses .
But if Camas and Yacolt raise p N ,; . . .� . . , ,x.
their official tax rates to match
porated Clark County. the county, it 'll send most of Section
}
The state Department of those tax dollars to the city gov.
aW
Revenue even sent incorrect in- ernment instead of the county.
structions to local businesses . Consumers wouldn't see a dif-
Then, the Clark County Au- ference, because the tax will the
ditor s Office noticed the rule have already gone up ,
and notified the state Depart Gerde, the Camas City •
ment of Revenue . Council member, said she 'd regton
Now, the revenue depart vote to raise city taxes in that
ment is placing phone calls to situation .
400 businesses in Camas and "That's a no -brainer," she
Yacolt, hoping to make sure sald .
that all of them charge the full Gerde said she didn't think
8 . 2 percent next week . Camas' council had even con-
Further complicating mat sidered raising the tax in her
ters , the 0 . 2 percent hike that 's 12 years of service .
caused all the confusion isn't " Five years ago, when we
aVV
the only new tax on this April had the real crunch time , we
forces
Fools Day. A separate 0 . 1 per- didn't even bring it forward , "
cent "meth tax" for substance she said . "We said , ` Let's make
abuse and mental health treat budget cuts instead . "' ■ ■
ment will also take effect . Dave Feltcher, owner of One
The state rule is almost Stop Home Furnishings in
never applied , because almost Camas , was dismayed to hear
nobody has reined in sales tax that there will likely be another sniall Ci S
tie
es as tightly as Camas , Yacolt few dollars between the taxes
and until this week Clark his customers pay and the ones
County. people pay his competitors in
" It 's so unusual that 's why sales-tax free Oregon .
we overlooked it at first," said "We love telling people
Mike Gowrylow, a spokesman it 's the lowest in the county,"
to raise tax
for the revenue department. Feltcher said of Camas' cur-
"I frankly don't know what the rent sales tax rate .
origin of it is . It 's been around
for years . " MICHAEL ANDERSEN cover Camas Yacolt Stevenson councils had
Under the law, Clark Cou s ,
Y Clark County government. Reach
will get all the money from the him at 360- 759-8052 or intentional kept sales tax rates louver
h ' �
higher tax an extra $ 400 , 000 michael. andersen Qcolumbian . com .
By MICHAEL ANDERSEN
Columbian staff writer
Here 's one for the nog ood Update
deed goes unpunished " de - •
partment :an obscure state wed, Previously :
law seems to require tax Clark County decided to
hikes in Clark County's two raise $ 5 million by hiking
lowest- sales -tax cities , even sales tax 0 . 2 percent in
though their city councils unincorporated areas ,
never asked for the money. 10 What's new ;
The towns are Camas Government workers found
and Yacolt, and a compara- a little - noticed state law they
tively tiny amount of cash is say requires the higher tax to
at stake : two cents on a $ 10 apply in Camas and Yacolt ,
bottle of wine , $ 1 on a $ 500 too .
couch .
It 's the difference between 1 What's next .
8 percent and 8 . 2 percent Camas and Yacolt will decide
sales tax , and it goes into ef- if their governments want a
fect on April 1 . piece of the new revenue , or
It 's no joke , though . Those will just let the county have it .
pennies add up to almost
$ 400 , 000 annually in Camas
and keeping them in tax not .
payer hands has been a point That 's because state law
of pride . says that whenever a city and
Of the state 's 281 cities , its county set different tax
only three have chosen not to rates , city businesses have
levy the full tax : Camas , Ya- to charge the higher of the
colt and Stevenson . two . Therefore , a 0 . 2 percent
"We didn't need that ad- Clark County tax hike going
ditional revenue , " said Hel- into effect next Sunday will
en Gerde , who sits on the also boost the rate at Yacolt
finance committee of Camas' and Camas businesses ,
city council . "We were doing If you're confused , you're
OK." in good company. Until last
Last week, however, a conn- week , everyone county,
ty worker realized that busi- cities , and state had been
nesses within those cities' overlooking the law, assum-
borders will have to charge ing the 0 . 2 percent tax hike
the full 8 . 2 percent sales tax, would apply only . in unincor-
whether the cities want it or
SALES TAX, back page