HomeMy WebLinkAbout3665RESOLUTION NO. 3 $ 6 5
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF AUBURN WASHINGTON ENDORSING THE
ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF STREAMLINED
SALES TAXES BY THE STATE OF WASHINGTON AT
SUCH TIME AS AND CONCURRENT WITH FEDERAL
ADOPTION OF INTERNET AND CATALOG SALES
TAXES; AND REQUESTING THAT ANY SYSTEM
ADOPTED BY THE STATE OF WASHINGTON NOT
NEGATIVELY IMPACT CITIES
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Auburn understands and supports the
concept of streamlining definitions and sales tax rates for interstate sales, and
WHEREAS, the City Council also believes that it is important to make the State
sales tax system effective and efficient for private businesses both within the state of
Washington and for businesses outside its geographic boundaries, and
WHEREAS, the State of Washington's tax structure is highly dependent upon
sales tax receipts, and
WHEREAS, the City of Auburn has made a commitment to the citizens and
businesses of Auburn to seek capital programs that have promised present and future
dollars for the construction and reconstruction of infrastructure and facilities, and for the
purchase of open space and park land, all for the better delivery of services to the
citizens of Auburn, and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the expectations of the Growth Management Act, the
City of Auburn and many other cities have worked hard to develop economic, traffic and
land use policies that meet regional needs for employment in industrial and retail fields,
and have made significant improvements to the transportation grid, including State
routes, using resources from the City of Auburn tax base; and
WHEREAS, the City's industrial, commercial.and retail zones have provided a
sales tax base that has allowed the City to develop and improve infrastructure to
facilitate commerce, and that the City has used revenue from these zones to mitigate
concurrent impacts; and
WHEREAS, the same industrial, commercial and retail zones place
disproportionate traffic, utility and public safety demands on the citizens of Auburn; and
WHEREAS, if the State changes the distribution of sales tax receipts from point
of sale to point of distribution, there would be a tax shift between cities who have
Resolution No. 3665
December 1, 2003
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developed the economic and land use policies-to support regional growth to areas
where cities have chosen not to have this activity in their geographic boundaries; and,
WHEREAS, if the State changes the distribution of sales tax receipts from point
of sale to point of distribution, a relatively small number of cities would bear the largest
share of the burden and, conversely a small number of jurisdictions would be the
greatest beneficiaries; and,
WHEREAS, the issues of equity and fundamental fairness are crucial for any
organization to function and operate; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed changes for sales tax distribution would provide a
positive impact for the State of Washington, but would produce disparate impacts for all
other jurisdictions.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUBURN,
WASHINGTON, HEREBY RESOLVES as follows:
Section 1. The City of Auburn supports the concept of streamlining sales tax
information and definitions to make it easier for inter and intra state commerce.
Section 2. The City of Auburn strongly urges the Department of Revenue adopt
a policy for adopting sales tax streamlining for interstate sales, but for intrastate sales
the point of sale distribution of sales tax continues.
Section 3. The City of Auburn endorses the Washington State adoption and
implementation of streamlined sales taxes concurrent ONLY upon federal adoption of
Internet and catalog sales taxes.
Section 4. The City of Auburn strongly urges the Department of Revenue adopt
a policy for adopting sales tax streamlining for interstate sales that has no negative
fiscal impact to any City in the State, and that does no harm any such jurisdiction.
Section 5.
signatures hereon.
PASSED this
This Resolution shall be in full force and effect upon passage and
Peter B. Lewis
Mayor
Resolution No. 3665
December 1, 2003
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ATTEST:
Danielle Daskam,
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
City Attorney
Published:
Resolution No. 3665
December 1, 2003
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