PORT ANGELES – The Clallam County Charter Review Commission wants more opinions from more people – but not on all topics, thank you.
While commissioners can’t outright refuse to listen to any idea, they’d rather not hear about requiring referendums on new taxes.
That’s probably all right because most taxes are immune from referendums, thanks to state law.
Commissioners on Monday still wrangled, though, over including the topic on a list of questions they’ll pose to citizens at the commission’s next three meetings.
In the end, they decided to exclude this query from the opinion-provoking questions they’d like people to answer:
“Should the Charter Review Commission consider an amendment to require a vote of the people on any NEW taxes?”
Commissioner David Cummins explained “new” as “something that’s never been taxed before.
“I’m looking at special programs, new programs,” he said.
About a year ago, Cummins unsuccessfully challenged the county’s newest tax increase, a one-tenth of 1 percent boost in the sales tax to fund new mental health and drug dependency programs.
