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Council discusses food-and-beverage tax uses and a draft credit-card control policy
Summary
Councilors and staff discussed possible allowable uses for a local food-and-beverage tax (economic development, parks, public safety, sidewalks and bond pledging) and reviewed a draft credit-card policy that would centralize card custody, require logs and receipts, and be auditable by the State Board of Accounts.
Council members discussed possible allowable uses for a proposed local food-and-beverage tax and circulated draft language that would limit spending to enumerated categories. Suggested eligible uses included reducing the property tax levy, economic development and tourism projects, public safety (fire apparatus replacement), sidewalks/streetscape improvements, and pledging receipts as security for bonds. Councilor Alex Robertson circulated a written exhibit with proposed priorities and page references to the Town’s comprehensive plan.
Separately, Clerk-Treasurer Mark Herak presented a draft credit-card policy and described common municipal approaches: central custody with department heads checking out a single Town card and returning it with receipts, or issuing individual cards to department heads. He noted that the State Board of Accounts audits card transactions and that timely submission of receipts is critical; some towns use a local-bank card for better service while others prefer national-card networks for ubiquity.
No ordinance or policy was adopted in the session; Council requested further review and follow-up on both items.
