Council votes to put emergency‑services sales tax measure on November ballot to offset tourism impacts

The Summit County Council voted July 31 to place Resolution 2024‑09 on the November general‑election ballot asking voters whether to allow a rural county emergency‑services (rural health care/emergency services) sales tax to help mitigate the costs the county attributes to tourism.

County staff and consultants explained the resolution authorizes submission of a proposition to levy a sales tax of up to 1 percent but said the county’s intent is to ask the electorate for roughly one‑half of one percent. The revenue would be dedicated to enumerated emergency‑service purposes the statute allows; the draft proposition listed emergency medical services, solid‑waste disposal, search and rescue, law‑enforcement activities and fire protection services.

Council members debated clarifying language and unanimously agreed to add an explicit exemption in the ballot language for groceries, gasoline and prescribed medicines and to include a catchall phrase for "other items exempt from sales tax" to ensure statutory exemptions remain excluded. One councilmember asked staff to avoid typographic emphasis (underlines or bold) on ballot text, and county counsel cautioned that formatting can be interpreted as advocacy.

County staff noted the resolution also requires scheduling a public hearing in the statutorily defined window (no more than 45 days, and at least four days, before the general election) and said staff will schedule that hearing. The county clerk will later receive and publish the official pro and con statements under state law.

After the amendments were read into the record, the council approved the resolution by voice vote. Staff said the county will coordinate pro/con statements and the voter information process required under state statute.

No specific revenue amount was set; the resolution starts the statutorily required public process that will place the question before voters in November.