A signature gathering effort to repeal a 0.3% Sales and Use Tax increase in Uintah County and have the matter placed on the November ballot is down to its last week. The Utah State Legislature approved the implementation of the tax in the last legislative session to allow Counties to collect 0.3% sales tax for public safety services. The Uintah County Commission passed the increase during a May Commission meeting, stating that they intend to use the revenue to support the Sheriff’s Office and Uintah County Jail. The action caused immediate public outcry as community members asked why it had been passed without receiving public input. As a result, a group of locals submitted a Referendum application to repeal the Commission’s decision and see the matter put to a vote of the people on the November ballot for either approval or rejection. Their Referendum effort is now in the signature gathering stage and committee member Brian Gorum is hoping community members will take the time to sign the petition. When asked the ‘why’ behind the Referendum effort, Gorum said the following: “The County Commissioners raised our taxes without public input. The only way that we can give public input is to sign the petition and put it on the November ballot. The people should have a say. The people should have a voice in the process.” Opportunities to sign the petition include a Honk, Wave, and Sign event today in the Jiffy Pawn parking lot in Vernal from 11am to 2pm as well as during the Tridell Car Show tomorrow, July 27th, from 10am to 2pm. Gorum says he hopes the west side Uintah County residents show up in force to sign tomorrow as Uintah County has required a certain number of signatures from each area of the County and he wants to be sure they have enough from the west side. Petitions are also available to sign during their business hours at Basin Appliance, Ledgestone Hotel, and the Brian Gorum State Farm Insurance office in Vernal, at Wild West Meats in Jensen, and at Vengeance Powersports in Ballard. The signature gathering process ends and must be turned in on August 2nd.
