UUT public hearing March 10

At its regular meeting on March 3, the Mammoth Lakes Town Council briefly discussed the extension of the User Utility Tax during a public hearing. The hearing followed a long report from Godbe Research, the consultant that had been hired to conduct a phone survey in the community to determine whether or not the voters would be amenable to the tax extension. The extension of this tax, currently set to sunset in 2011, is expected to be put before the voters on June 8.

With still much to be determined regarding the tax, such as what it would be used for and at which rate it should be set, Council pushed the public hearing back to an adjourned meeting that is scheduled for March 10 at 6 p.m. in Suite Z. The deadline to put the tax extension, which will be known as Measure U, on the June ballot is March 12. Council has also discussed waiting until November to put the Measure on the ballot. By making the Measure a Special Tax, which requires a two-thirds vote versus a General Tax that requires a 50 plus one vote, Council has the option to go with either election.

Currently, the UUT is set at 2.5 percent and is being used to pay off debt for the construction of parks such as Shady Rest Park and Mammoth Creek Park. When the tax sunsets in 2011, the debt will be paid off. If voters approve an extension of the tax the money collected would go toward other projects in town. The determination of exactly what these projects would be is to be decided at the public hearing on the tenth. Council will also determine whether or not to lower the rate to 2 percent.