HomeMy WebLinkAbout6964ORDINANCE NO. 6964
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
AUBURN, WASHINGTON AMENDING AUBURN CITY
CODE CHAPTER 3.41 RELATED TO THE
ADMINISTRATION OF CITY'S SOLID WASTE GARBAGE
UTILITY TAX AND CHAPTER 3.62 ADMINISTRATIVE CITY
CODE RELATED TO UTILITIES, ADMISSIONS, AND
GAMBLING TAX
WHEREAS, Chapter 3.41 ACC imposes a tax on solid waste utility activities
within the City;
WHEREAS, Sections 3.41.010 and 3.41.011 as amended will provide more
expansive definitions and more comprehensive tax imposition language to enable
greater clarity and precision in the administration and implementation of the City's Solid
Waste Garbage Utility Tax; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 3.62 ACC provides the administrative provisions for the
imposition of utility, admission, gambling and other taxes within the City, including the
Solid Waste Garbage Utility Tax;
WHEREAS, Section 3.62.015 ACC as amended will remove monthly filing
requirement; Section 3.62.040 ACC as amended will remove tax payment methods are
no longer available; and Section 3.62.080 ACC as amended will change the record
retention period from five to ten years to maintain consistency with City Code and
facilitate administration of the Solid Waste Garbage Utility Tax; and
WHEREAS, Section 3.62.070 ACC related to "penalties" for late payments,
evasion, and disregard of written instructions. This Section previously referenced the
penalties imposed for the same under State law contained in RCW 82.32.090, but as
Ordinance No. 6964
February 13, 2025
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amended incorporates the language and alters it to the extent necessary to maintain
consistency with City Code and City administration; and added naming for each type of
penalty for greater clarity and guidance; and
WHEREAS, Section 3.62.140 ACC as amended adds electronic method of
submission of notice; and
WHEREAS, these revisions and additions to the City tax code will enable greater
clarity and precision in the administration and implementation of City taxes and are in
the best interest of the City and its taxpayers.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUBURN,
WASHINGTON, DO ORDAIN as follows:
Section 1. Amendments to City Code. Chapter 3.41 ACC are hereby
amended to read as set forth in Exhibit A attached to this Ordinance.
Section 2. Amendments to City Code. Chapter 3.62 ACC are hereby
amended to read as set forth in Exhibit B attached to this Ordinance.
Section 3. Implementation. The Mayor is authorized to implement those
administrative procedures necessary to carry out the directives of this legislation.
Section 4. Severability. The provisions of this ordinance are declared to be
separate and severable. The invalidity of any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision,
section, or portion of this ordinance, or the invalidity of the application of it to any person
or circumstance, will not affect the validity of the remainder of this ordinance, or the validity
of its application to other persons or circumstances.
Ordinance No. 6964
February 13, 2025
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ORD 6964 — EXHIBIT A
Page 1 of 4
Chapter 3.41
SOLID WASTE GARBAGE UTILITY TAX
Sections:
3.41.010
Garbage and solid waste utility tax created.
3.41.011
Definitions.
3.41.012
Administration and collection of tax.
3.41.013
Deductions.
3.41.014
Repealed.
3.41.015
Repealed.
3.41.020
Repealed.
3.41.010 Garbage and solid waste utility tax created.
A. There is hereby levied upon and shall be collected from every person engaging in or
carrying on the solid waste collection business and every business enterprise or other entity
engaged in handling solid waste a tax equal to 11.5 percent of the total gross income from
such business conducted within the Citv. , pro +o� - n , nnr�on+ tw +n ho lo��ind�n nrl +f+n�
K. The finance director is directed to collect this tax and to pay the collected funds into the
city's general expense fund, subject to subsection CD of this section.
C9. On and after january 1, 2023, the finance director shall allocate two and one-half percent
of the tax revenue received under this section for the purpose of acquiring, investing in,
constructing, improving, providing, operating, preserving, maintaining and/or funding
transportation improvements in the city.
ORD 6964 - EXHIBIT A
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D. The tax rate in subsection A of this section shall automatically revert to nine percent if the
state of Washington provides the city's arterial street preservation fund with a long-term
sustainable funding source that is sufficient to maintain the city's arterial street system's
pavement condition index (PCI) at an average of 70 PCI out of a score of 100 PCI for the
foreseeable future.
E-F. Pursuant to RCW 35.58.560, nothing in this section shall be intended or construed to
impose a tax on any county owned or operated solid waste facility.
3.41.011 Definitions.
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The following definitions apply to throughout this Chapter:
A "Compostables" means yard debris shredded compostable mixed paper, and food scraps
separately or combined.
B. "Food scraps" means all com_postable pre - and post -consumer organic wastes, such as
whole or partial pieces of produce meats bones cheese bread cereals coffee grounds or
eggshells and food -soiled paper such as paper napkins paper towels paper plates coffee
filters, paper take-out boxes pizza boxes or other paper or biodegradable products.
C. "Garbage" means all putrescible and nonputrescible solid and semi -solid wastes, including..
but not limited to, rubbish, ashes and discarded commodities The term "garbage" shall not
include special wastes swillconstruction/demolition materials segregated from other wastes,
or source -separated recyclables and compostables.
Q. "Hazardous substances" means any liquid solid, gas, or sludge including any material.
substance, product commodity, or waste regardless of quantity, that exhibits any of the
ORD 6964— EXHIBITA
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characteristics or criteria of hazardous waste Hazardous substances also includes any item or
substance deemed a hazardous waste or hazardous substance under Chapter 70A.300 RCW.
E. "Hazardous waste" means and includes all dangerous and extremely hazardous waste,
including substances composed of both radioactive and hazardous components.
F. "Putrescible waste" means solid waste which contains material capable of being readily
decomposed by microorganisms.
G. "Recyclables" means certain reclaimable materials that are separated from garbage by the
generator for recycling or reuse including but not limited to paper fibers metals glass,
plastics organics and other materials.
H. 'Recycling' means any process by which solid waste materials are transformed into reusable
resources or reusing waste materials and extracting valuable materials from a waste stream.
I "Solid waste" means garbage recyclables compostables, and special waste.
J "Solid waste collection service" means collecting and/or receiving solid waste for transfer,
processing, treatment recycling, storage or disposal including but not limited to, all collection
services public or private dumps transfer stations, and similar operations.
K. "Special waste" means any discarded material from a nonresidential source including:
process sludges waste from a pollution control process waste containing free liquids,
unknown chemical containing equipment removed from service residue from the cleanup of a
spill of a waste chemical contaminated residuals from the cleanup of a facility associated with
chemical waste off -specifications and outdated commercial products or chemicals, friable
asbestos asbestos -bearing process waste untreated medical waste treated medical waste,
residues/sludges from septic tanks incinerator ash oil paint and emission control filters.
Special waste also includes hazardous waste and hazardous substances.
L. "Swill" means and includes every waste accumulation of animal fruit or vegetable matter,
liquid or otherwise, that attends the preparation use cooking dealing in or storing of meat,
fish fowl fruit and vegetables except coffee grounds.
M. "Yard debris" means leaves, grass clippings of woody as well as fleshy plants Nonflocked
Christmas trees are acceptable as yard debris if cut up and bundled Material larger than four
ORD 6964— EXHIBITA
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inches in diameter or four feet in length is excluded Degradable string or twine. not nylon or
other synthetic material shall secure bundles of yard debris.
3.41.012 Administration and collection of tax.
The tax imposed by this chapter shall be administered and collected in accordance with
Chapter 3.62 ACC.
3.41.013 Deductions.
A. Taxpayers may deduct from gross receipts any revenues derived from business that state or
federal law prohibits the city from taxing.
B. Solid waste collection businesses may deduct from gross receipts the amount of excise
taxes the business collects and remits pursuant to Chapter 82.18 RCW.
3.41.014 Overpayment of tax.
Repealed by Ord. 6921.
3.41.015 Special internal tax created.
Repealed by Ord. 6801.
3.41.020 Levy and collection of tax.
Repealed by Ord. 6801.