A Tooele County Commissioner has publicly apologized for not holding a public hearing when the commissioners approved a new municipal services tax on July 1.
“At our last commission meeting, we approved tax rates for the year,” said Tooele County Commissioner Shawn Milne during last Tuesday’s commission meeting. “I believe it was erroneous on our part to have done so before having what was promised to citizens in the unincorporated area — a public hearing.”
The final approval of the municipal services tax rate came after five town hall meetings since February, and a public comment period during the June 3 county commission meeting.
However, during those town hall meetings, and at the June 3 county commission meeting, residents were told they would have an opportunity to speak at a public hearing in July before the commissioners voted on the tax rate.
According to state code, the requirement for a public hearing to implement a municipal services tax was met in December 2013. Yet, at the Stockton Town Hall meeting on April 22, Commissioner Milne said a public truth in taxation hearing for the new municipal services tax would be held in July.
Tooele County Commission Chairman Bruce Clegg also told the Transcript-Bulletin at the June 3 county commission meeting that a public formal truth in taxation hearing would be scheduled for July before they voted on the adoption of the tax rate.
Milne also referred to a future public hearing for the municipal services tax at the commissioners’ June 3 meeting.
Despite these promises, no public hearing was held before the commissioners’ voted on the tax rates at their July 1 meeting because there was no legal requirement for a hearing, according to Clegg.
Milne also said a public hearing would not have changed the way he voted on the tax rate.
“I was able to study the topic and there were a lot of meetings,” Milne said.
While commissioners did nothing illegal, breaking promises is not a good idea, according to Milne.
“It cheapens other kinds of promises we make when we don’t do what we say we were going to do,” he said. “I don’t think it would necessarily have changed my vote, but I feel like we owe an apology.”