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Sheridan staff seeks council feedback on proposed sales-tax increase for public safety
Summary
City staff presented a draft informational sheet on a sales-tax measure to support public safety and operations; staff asked council for feedback by July 24 and said no decision was made at the July 15 meeting. Council debated wording (training vs. adding officers) and requested examples of consumer impact and combined tax rates.
City staff presented a draft informational sheet on July 15 describing a proposed change to Sheridan’s sales-tax rate to raise revenue for public-safety needs and related operating costs.
“It's been 37 years since we have passed a sales tax increase,” staff noted during the presentation, framing the proposal as a response to rising costs for infrastructure, operations and public-safety staffing.
Staff described the proposal as intended to support police and fire response, recruitment and retention, training and equipment. Council members questioned phrasing on outreach materials, urging language that emphasizes improved training and response rather than the politically loaded phrase “more officers.” One council member suggested removing or rewording references to “more police officers” and instead highlighting training and patrol effectiveness to avoid creating negative connotations during doorstep campaigning.
Councilors also asked staff to provide clearer examples showing how much the increase would cost a typical shopper and to show the city’s total combined rate with county and other local levies. Staff asked for council feedback by July 24 and said they would return with a final informational sheet in English and Spanish and with potential ordinance language for placement on the ballot; no formal decision or ordinance was adopted that night.
Budget and timing questions: staff described a half-percentage-point (0.5%) increase as a possible option and estimated roughly $750,000 in annual revenue from a half-point increase; staff and council discussed that additional general-fund savings could free capital transfers for street maintenance. Staff said, if approved, an effective date could be Jan. 1, 2027, with initial reporting visible on February returns and that staff would coordinate with finance staff for detailed revenue estimates.
What’s next: staff requested written feedback by July 24 and will return with a final informational sheet and proposed ordinance language. Council did not vote on the sales-tax proposal at this meeting.
