THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LIQUOR SALES REVENUE SHARING
The Crouch Concerned Citizens mailed a flyer regarding the upcoming Local Option Tax that will be voted upon on November 2nd by the citizens of Crouch.
The very first paragraph in the flyer reads as follows:
“The city of Crouch’ ability to fund operations, maintenance and implement needed city improvements has been severely impacted by the State of Idaho’s reduction in revenue sharing on the sales of alcohol through the local state liquor store.”
Here is some background and additional information.
Crouch was established in 1951 as the Village of Crouch for the purpose of being able to sell alcohol in a state liquor store. The state would give a percentage of the sales back to Crouch. The cities also had an obligation to fund the magistrate courts at an amount ordered by the majority of the judges.
In 2018, the Association of Idaho Cities formed a workgroup of Idaho’s counties and cities that met with one another in cooperation with the administrative arm of the state court system. They worked out a deal that the judges would not mandate what the cities had to pay to fund the magistrate by dedicating a portion of future revenue growth from the State Liquor Fund to provide additional court funding. The agreement was that each city would forego 3.66% increments of growth in State Liquor Fund revenues for the five years of implementation (2019 to 2023). Beginning in 2023, cities would be allocated 49% of the State Liquor Fund revenues for that store sales.
The state didn’t arbitrarily come in and take the money, this was by agreement and the cities no longer had the obligation to fund the magistrate,
Here is the impact this agreement had on the City of Crouch.
Distribution amount for the last 5 years:
FY20-21 $50,284.00
FY19-20 $44,333.00
FY18-19 $42,201.00
FY17-18 $40,939.00
FY16-17 $37,501.00
Considering that the distribution amount has increased every year for the last five years, it is a gross exaggeration to state that the City of Crouch’s ability to fund anything was severely impacted by the reduction in these funds.
Additional Pages:
IS A LIQUOR LICENSE THE REASON BEHIND THE OPTION TAX
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LIQUOR SALES REVENUE SHARING
RESEARCH ON THE LOCAL OPTION TAX COMMITTEE REASONS THIS TAX IS NEEDED
YOUR VOTE COUNTS ONLY IF YOU CAST IT
DON’T LET APATHY GIVE THE ADVANTAGE
Regardless of your position on the Local Option Tax,
it is imperative that you cast your ballot.
Failure to cast a ballot will only makes it easier for the other side to prevail.