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Council discusses consulting renewal and educating builders about spec‑house tax
Summary
Council and staff discussed renewing an Aldridge consulting contract and using it to educate contractors about a spec‑builder tax; councilmembers said many builders were unfamiliar with the tax and suggested permit-time documentation or a signed acknowledgement; staff said the town cannot cap the tax.
The Snowflake Town Council spent part of its April 1 worksession on a proposed renewal of Aldridge Consulting and on outreach about the town’s spec‑house and contractor tax rules. Councilmember Reid Stinnett told the body that he had asked contractors about the tax and "they were all ignorant about the spec house taxes," prompting a recommendation to educate permit applicants.
Councilmember Byron Lewis urged clearer documentation for permittees, saying, "when you know better, you do better," and suggested requiring a signed acknowledgement that builders understand the spec‑builder tax (and possibly the contractor tax) when permits are issued. Brian Richards, speaking for town staff, said the intent of the outreach was educational—"more about putting knowledge out there and teaching people about paying the tax for contracting"—and that staff could proceed with a contract extension after receiving the council's input.
Cory Johnson asked why the town maintains a spec tax; Richards replied that the tax is intended to capture profit from spec houses and that the state and county do not charge this local tax. Richards also told the council it could not cap the tax, saying, "we can’t cap the tax; we can either have it or not have it." No formal motion or vote on the consulting contract or policy change was recorded in the minutes; the discussion centered on outreach and permit‑stage documentation.
