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2019 Specific Purpose Tax
In 2018 Carbon County and each of its ten municipalities adopted a joint resolution establishing how a proposed 1% Specific Purpose Tax would be used. May 2019 the tax overwhelmingly passed during a special election. The Specific Purpose Tax, otherwise known as the 6th Penny Tax, will begin October 1, 2019.
This tax must be used for the specific purpose stated on the ballot. Funds can not be used for general government operations, only capital projects.
Funding
Carbon County's portion will be used to fund improvements to the Carbon County Courthouse and Carbon Building. View more information in the following links:
Summary of All Projects
View a summary of all projects (PDF). For more information about a project please contact the sponsoring entity. Contact information is available on the project summary above.
6th Penny FAQs
- Question: When is the election?
Answer: Tuesday, May 7, 2019 - Question: How can I vote?
Answer: Absentee ballots are available by request and will be sent March 22 through May 6. Learn more about requesting a ballot (PDF) or call 307-328-2650. You must provide your fill legal name, date of birth, residence and mailing addresses and a phone number. Ballot will also be available at the polls on Election Day. - Question: How can I be certain funds will be used as proposed?
Answer: Wyoming Statute mandates that specific purpose tax funds only be used for capital projects and only for those specifically stated on the ballot. Funds can not be used for general operations. - Question: What projects are proposed to be paid for with the 6th penny tax?
Answer: View a list of the summary of the projects (PDF). - Question: How were the projects chosen?
Answer: City, town and county governments chose their individual projects. These were discussed during public board and council meetings, many of which have been covered by the press. Contact information for each municipality is available (PDF). - Question: Can I vote for one project and against other projects?
Answer: No. All projects are packaged together in one ballot questions. They will all pass or all fail together. - Question: Who pays for the tax?
Answer: Anyone paying sales tax in Carbon County will help pay for the tax. This includes tourists, hunters, and the multiple wind farms and transmission lines proposed in the county. These projects expect to take delivery of their materials in the county and therefore will pay the tax rate in place at the time of delivery. - Question: Will my property taxes increase if this passes?
Answer: No. This is not a property tax, it is a sales tax. - Question: Is the sales tax exemption on food still in effect?
Answer: Yes. The exemption for sales tax on food is still in place and only the Wyoming Legislature can reinstate that tax. - Question: What happens if the ballot fails?
Answer: The measure can not be placed on a ballot for at least 11 months after the May 2019 election. Projects will either be postponed, not happen or other funding must be secured. - Question: How long will the 1% 6th penny tax be in place?
Answer: The tax will be in place until the entire amount is collected. If sales tax is collected at a similar rate as the past decade this tax is expected to be fully collected within approximately 15 to 16 years. If wind farms and other projects occur and they take delivery of their materials in Carbon County as expected the total would likely be paid of much quicker. - Question: Why is the election occurring this year?
Answer: The last 6th penny tax was paid off in 2018, years earlier than expected. The sales tax rate then decreased to 5% in October 2018. Having the election now would mean a 6% rate beginning October 2019 providing a full year at only 5%. In addition, with the tax in place before large projects are expected to occur in Carbon County, those project companies would be subject to the 6th penny resulting in a likely early payoff. - Question: How will the projects benefit the public?
Answer: Each municipality should be consulted for this answer. The county has significant investments in its projects that must be protected and maintained. Having a justice center and administrative building will promote efficiency for the public conducting business in these buildings. In addition the Courthouse will become much more secure for both staff and the public. Additional question and answer sessions will be added as questions arise.