Committee sends seasonal sales‑tax ordinance to full assembly after adopting amendment that removes food and utilities exemptions

The Assembly Finance Committee voted July 9 to send ordinance 2025‑32 — the assembly’s draft seasonal sales‑tax proposal — to the full assembly after adopting an amendment that removes proposed exemptions for food and utilities.

Mayor Weldon moved the committee’s referral of ordinance 2025‑32 to the full assembly and the committee debated multiple amendments and legal implications before adopting the Bryson amendment to remove the food and utilities exemptions. Assemblymember Bryson explained the amendment’s strategy as an effort to avoid competing ballot measures in the same election and to “simplify” the question for voters. Bryson said removing exemptions would leave the committee’s seasonal sales‑tax question focused solely on the temporary seasonal rate.

City attorney Wright told the committee that CBJ Charter §7.11 governs outcomes when two ballot measures on the same topic both…