As most of you are aware, Oregonians absolutely hate taxes. We stand firm and united in this agreement time and time again. A good example is the fact that there is no sales tax in Oregon. A sales tax has been rejected at the polls nine times in ninety years.
So, that begs the question, how […]
Where lodging taxes capture revenue almost exclusively from visitors, (unless the pipes are frozen or the in-laws are in town!) meals taxes are generally bad policy because they shift tax burdens away from those residents who […]
We cannot fund our critical police service using an inconsistent flow of revenue. Based on flawed comparisons between Jacksonville and Ashland, the authors […]
I thought I’d put the election off till next month. You already know how I feel about this terrible meals tax proposal.
Have you noticed a lack of civil discourse in these times? Of course you have. Just turn on the television news and cable channels and the […]
A Cup of Conversation – October 2018
I loathe local politics. It is counter-intuitive for a small-town merchant to open his mouth on any issue splitting business along two polar extremes. I’ve avoided this stupidity for most of our three decades doing business in Jacksonville.
Having said this, there are times when keeping silent out of self-preservation […]
Why does the City need money?
Under Measures 5 and 50, the City has the second lowest property tax rate in Jackson County-$1.84 per thousand assessed value. Because our police services are using up most of our property tax revenues, we need to find other ways of paying for our police protection without sacrificing other City […]
We believe there are multiple reasons why the proposed Meals and Beverage Tax (Meals Tax) is a bad idea and would like to focus on two reasons we think the initiative deserves a “NO” vote.
For one, we believe that the proposed meals tax is mean-spirited and is not driven by community unity but by community […]
RESOLUTION NO. R2018-010 – A RESOLUTION OPPOSING BALLOT MEASURE 15-180
WHEREAS, the Jacksonville City Council finds:
“I live in Rogue River and visit JV often. I love South Stage Cellars and the shopping. If this meals tax gets passed, I will no longer come to this darling town.”
“My friends and I visit Jacksonville often and dine there regularly. Eating out has already begun stretching my limited […]
Background—After the City Council implemented a $20/month Police Surcharge to pay for police services and augment the General Fund, three citizens, led by Doug Phillips, decided that they had a “better idea.” They collected enough signatures to place the matter on the November ballot. If passed, a 5% meals tax will last for 10 years […]
As your Mayor, I’m always ready to take responsibility for my actions. Screw Up—‘Fess Up is my rule. So imagine my surprise when confronted with accusations of sponsoring the meals tax initiative on this November’s election ballot. Evidently the assumption was made on the part of some, […]
I have been on the Jacksonville City Budget Committee for the past 14 years. I have watched the careful and thoughtful process that the Committee goes through each year to keep our historic city fiscally sound.
I agonize over each fee increase, but when I realize that Jacksonville has the second-lowest tax rate in the county […]
I am writing in response to the citizen-initiative proposing a 5% Sales Tax on Prepared Food that will be on the November ballot. I am not a resident of Jacksonville, but I am very familiar with this type of funding mechanism, as I owned a restaurant in Ashland when an identical tax was placed before […]
Having lived in Jacksonville for 26 years as a resident and business owner, and having served on the Budget Committee for several years, I feel qualified in addressing the proposed meals tax. Like many, I enjoy having 24/7 police and fire protection and feel that to expect anything else would be ludicrous. Unfortunately, when it […]
This is the first in a series of columns that add some detail to the decision by the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and Business Association to oppose the proposed Meals Tax. It focuses on the City Council’s decision to implement a surcharge to help pay for police services rather than other funding options.
First, we want […]
The City Council and Budget Committee thoroughly examined a Meals Tax and rejected it 13-1 as an inadequate funding option.
Now in place, the Surcharge is capped at $20/month, will last 5 years and can be reduced or removed at any time depending on additional funding from OTHER sources.
The Surcharge asks every household […]
I’m pleased to announce that three outstanding citizens have applied to run for three open City Council seats. At press time just days before the filing deadline, the candidates are current HARC Chair Donna Bowen and City Council incumbents Ken Gregg and Jim Lewis. In the October Review, learn more about […]
The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and Business Association Board of Directors strongly opposes any type of meals tax in Jacksonville.
We support the decisions made by our elected officials and the other volunteers who serve on the Budget Committee—all of whom are Jacksonville residents. Funding public safety services is a complex issue and takes a […]
Having lived in Jacksonville for 26 years as a resident and business owner, and having served on the Budget Committee for several years, I feel qualified in addressing the proposed meals tax. Like many, I enjoy having 24/7 police and fire protection and feel that to expect anything else would be ludicrous. Unfortunately, when it […]
Thanks to the efforts of the City Council, residents who earn less than $25,000 may qualify to pay zero for the newly-approved Police Surcharge. At its 6/5 meeting, the City Council voted 6-1 for program designed to assist those on fixed incomes and at lower income levels. The vote came after the Public Safety Committee […]
Editor’s Note: The following analysis and editorial is presented by publisher Whitman Parker regarding a 5% Meals Tax proposal. Please note that he invited the proponents of this measure to answer questions numerous times, but they declined the opportunity. The Jacksonville Review believes that a meals tax is ill-advised and urges Jacksonville citizens to NOT […]
The latest public initiative by three Jacksonville civic-minded citizens, Tom Gorman, Doug Phillips and Michael Sewitsky to implement a meals tax to pay for our police service is a good start but a little short sighted.
Why force only twelve restaurant merchants to pay our safety burden? Let’s not discriminate. Why not the local realtors and […]
FREE Police Protection in Jacksonville?
Yes, that’s correct. How? Just don’t eat out.
Starting this week, a petition will be put before the residents of Jacksonville in support of an initiative to place a tax on restaurants to pay for the town’s police protection.
The residents who say they already do not, or will not if the tax […]
At the 5/3/18 Budget Committee meeting, it was announced that a 5% meals/sales tax measure may appear on the November 2018 ballot. The sales tax is the brainchild of Doug Phillips, a current member of the Budget Committee who is joined by fellow Jacksonville residents Tom Gorman and Michael Sewitsky as the petitioners for the […]
