BETHEL, Alaska (AP) — The mayor of Bethel has failed at getting city council members to agree with his plan to lower the southwest Alaska city’s sales tax.
KYUK-AM reports Mayor Rick Robb had proposed lowering the sales tax from 6 percent to 5.75 percent in response to the council’s 2014 decision to increase water and sewage rates.
Robb says water and sewage rates have since risen by between 30 and 50 percent per Bethel household. He says he wanted to lower sales taxes for residents to offset those costs.
But the city council turned down the proposal in a 3-2 vote last week.
Council member Leif Albertson says it would not be right to change the city’s revenue before officials finalize next year’s budget.
