Commission reviews charging-station report; finance says state may seek 3.5% sales-tax treatment

The Kenosha Transit Commission on Sept. 15 received the transit department’s August report on charging-station and parking-structure usage and heard from finance staff that the state may move to apply a sales-tax treatment to charging-station transactions.

The transit director summarized August activity, saying revenue was up 94% in the last 31 days and that charging sessions had increased about 100%. “We are moving along. We have a 100% more charging sessions,” the director said during the report. The commission voted to receive and file the report.

Commissioners were then advised by meeting remarks referencing Merrill (transcript: Meredith) from finance that the state had signaled an intent to attach roughly a 3.5% sales tax to charging-station transactions; the finance official’s statement was described as a recent notice from the state. The meeting record does not show a finalized legislative decision; commissioners asked staff to get a clarification from finance and to return with details at the next meeting.

Commissioner comments reflected a preference to pass any new tax on to charging-station customers rather than have the transit department absorb the cost. “If we want to raise the rates to accommodate the increase on sales tax, based on the current revenue, we’ll pay the sales tax,” the transit director said, and Commissioner Andrew Schmidt said he would like the item on the next month’s agenda and that “the consumer should be paying the sales tax, not us.”

No formal rate change or policy decision was made at the meeting; staff said they would seek clarification from finance and report back.