SNOWFLAKE — “I think this to be a crock,” said Steve Foster, a veteran and Taylor resident, as he spoke out against the jail district tax, Proposition 419, being proposed by Navajo County staff at the Snowflake/Taylor Chamber of Commerce Lunch and Learn in Snowflake on Aug. 22.
Foster went on to say, “Now that I am retired I don’t have the money to pay into this. I know it is only a third of a cent, but when you raise taxes, it is a signal to everyone else to raise their taxes and we are not getting our money’s worth.”
Jason Brubaker, the owner of Silver Creek Mortuary, waited for Foster to finish before he lent his support of tax. “I appreciate that our county employees are running the county like a business,” said Brubaker. “I am impressed as a small business owner that they have a plan for the future.”
In response to the two men who spoke out, County Manager Glenn Kephart who was present for the gathering said, “It is not our job to tell you how to vote. It is our job to inform you. It will be up to the people how this is decided.”
That vote is about Proposition 419: a jail district tax that would last for 20 years, adding a third of a cent to the county sales tax, raising the necessary funds to help offset the $2.5 million shortfall that the county is anticipating with the future closing of the Navajo Generating Station near Page and the Cholla Power Plant in Joseph City.
In 2017, a shortfall of $2.5 million caused two non-mandated county programs to cease: the Juvenile Detention Center and the County Attorney’s Child Support Program.
The plant closures are expected to cause another $2.5 million loss in sales and property tax, a loss that Navajo County Assistant Manager Bryan Layton said would be equal to the combined budgets of the Assessors, the Treasurer’s, the Recorder’s and the Superintendent of Schools departments, leading to a 20-25 percent reduction in the county workforce, including the Sheriff’s Office.
Layton started his presentation at the luncheon with an explanation that the financial problems for the county started in 2008 at the beginning of the recession.
“The county’s response during the recession is something we can be proud of,” shared Layton. “During that time revenues dropped and costs went up. We reduced staff by 16 percent and changed how we conducted business. As I shared before, having to tighten our belts and reduce expenditures is not a bad thing.
“Right now the budget is balanced,” added Layton, “But the loss of the $2.5 million will put us out of balance. Being a sales tax, it allows the visitors that come to our communities to pay for it as well. The jail district is not a financial windfall for the county but it will let us continue to do tomorrow what we are doing today.”
As Layton wrapped up his presentation, he reminded the audience that the jail district tax of one-third of a penny would not only provide the necessary funds, but would also eliminate the jail fees for the municipalities within the county which cost approximately $425,000 a year. For a $3 cup of coffee, the tax would add an additional three cents. For a $120 motel room, it’s an extra 40 cents, and for a $30,000 car, the tax would cost an additional $100.
