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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4449ORDINANCE NO. 4449 AN ORDINANCE of the City Council of the City of Kent, Washington, amending sections 3.18.020, 3.28.010 and 3.28.130 of the Kent City Code to revise the fund allocations for tax revenue generated from the City's tax on water, sewer, and drainage utilities, and to remove limitations on the allocation of revenue generated from the City's B&O gross receipts and square footage tax. RECITALS A. From time to time, the City Council reallocates tax revenues among various funds established in the City budget. B. The purpose of this ordinance is to address the General Fund's reliance on property taxes. Because property tax revenue is limited to 1% annual growth, plus new construction, such revenue does not keep pace with the City's ongoing operational expenses within the General Fund. C. This ordinance reallocates revenue from the tax on water, sewer, and drainage utilities, and revenue from the B&O gross receipts and square footage tax. These allocation revisions will better align the City's General Fund revenue sources with the City's ongoing operational expenses. 1 Amend KCC 3.18.020, KCC 3.28.010 and KCC 3.28.130 re Fund Allocations for Tax Revenue NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENT, WASHINGTON, DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: ORDINANCE SECTION 1. - Amendment - KCC 3.18.020. Section 3.18.020 of the Kent City Code, entitled 'Certain utilities subject to tax," is amended as follows: Sec. 3.18.020. Certain utilities subject to tax. A. In addition to the other business and license fees required by the ordinances of the city, the city levies upon all persons, firms, or corporations (including the city) engaged in certain business activities a utilities tax to be collected as follows: 1. Upon every person, firm, or corporation engaging in or carrying on any telephone business within the city, an annual tax equal to six percent of the total gross income, including revenues from intrastate toll, derived from the operation of such business within the city. This six percent tax will be allocated as follows: 4.7 percent to the general fund, 0.3 percent to youth/teen programs, and one percent to street improvement programs. 2. Upon every person, firm, or corporation engaging in or carrying on a business of selling, wheeling, furnishing, distributing, or producing gas, whether manufactured or natural, for commercial or domestic use or purposes, a fee or tax equal to six percent of the total gross income from such business in the city during the tax year for which the license is required. This six percent tax will be allocated as follows: 4.7 percent to the general fund, 0.3 percent to youth/teen programs, and one percent to street improvement programs. 2 Amend KCC 3.18.020, KCC 3.28.010 and KCC 3.28.130 re Fund Allocations for Tax Revenue 3. Upon every person, firm, or corporation engaged in or carrying on the business of selling, wheeling, furnishing, or distributing electricity for light and power, a fee or tax equal to six percent of the total gross income from such business in the city during the tax year for which a license is required. This six percent tax will be allocated as follows: 4.7 percent to the general fund, 0.3 percent to youth/teen programs, and one percent to street improvement programs. 4. Upon every person, firm, or corporation engaged in or carrying on the business of providing cable television services, a tax equal to six percent of the total gross income from that business in the city during the tax year for which the license is required. All revenue received from this tax must be applied only to funding the city's information technology department operations and capital projects budgets in the proportion determined by the city council in its biennial budget, including all amendments. 5. Upon every person, firm, or corporation engaging in or carrying on a business providing solid waste collection services, a tax equal to 18.4 percent of the total gross income from such business in the city during the tax year for which the license is required. This 18.4 percent tax will be allocated as follows: 6.5 percent to the general fund, 0.3 percent to youth/teen programs, one percent to street improvement programs, and 10.6 percent to maintain and repair residential streets, including related impacts to curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and other road amenities, including crosswalks along with necessary appurtenances, and improvements related to residential traffic calming, but this 10.6 percent portion of the solid waste utility tax shall not be used to expand, extend, or widen existing residential streets or to build new residential streets. The amount used from this fund for neighborhood traffic calming devices and crosswalks shall not exceed $150,000 in any year. 3 Amend KCC 3.18.020, KCC 3.28.010 and KCC 3.28.130 re Fund Allocations for Tax Revenue 6. Upon every person (including the city) engaging in or carrying on the business of selling, furnishing, or distributing water services, a tax equal to 13 percent of the total gross income from that business in the city during the tax year; upon every person (including the city) engaging in or carrying on the business of selling, furnishing, or distributing sewer services, a tax equal to 9.5 percent of the total gross income from that business in the city during the tax year; and upon every person (including the city) engaging in or carrying on the business of selling, furnishing, or distributing drainage services, a tax equal to 19.5 percent of the total gross income from such business in the city during the tax year. Unless otherwise directed by the city council in its budget process, the total of these tax revenues will be allocated as follows: 90.0043.85 percent to the general fund for the use as allocated in the city's budget; ; 7.69 percent to street improvement programs; and 2.31 percent to youth/teen programs. 1. �iu wN.S.. LM i 4 Amend KCC 3.18.020, KCC 3.28.010 and KCC 3.28.130 re Fund Allocations for Tax Revenue B. In computing the tax provided in subsection (A) of this section, the taxpayer may deduct from total gross income the following items: 1. The actual amount of credit losses and uncollectible receivables sustained by the taxpayer. 2. Amounts derived from transactions in interstate and foreign commerce which the city is prohibited from taxing under the laws and Constitution of the United States. SECTION 2. - Amendment - KCC 3.28.010. Section 3.28.010 of the Kent City Code, entitled "Purpose" is amended as follows: Sec. 3.28.010. Purpose. This chapter implements Washington Constitution Article XI, Section 12 and RCW 35A.82.020 and 35A.11.020, which give municipalities the authority to license for revenue. In the absence of a legal or constitutional prohibition, municipalities have the power to define taxation categories as they see fit in order to respond to the unique concerns and responsibilities of local government. The city E)f Kent has M-VPV_ 2V.TP.9=1 --a 0­4 8 5 Amend KCC 3.18.020, KCC 3.28.010 and KCC 3.28.130 re Fund Allocations for Tax Revenue SECTION 3. - Repeal - KCC 3.28.130. Section 3.28.130 of the Kent City Code, entitled 'Limitation of revenue received" is hereby repealed in its entirety. SECTION 4. - Severability. If any one or more section, subsection, or sentence of this ordinance is held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion of this ordinance and the same shall remain in full force and effect. SECTION 5. - Corrections by City Clerk or Code Reviser. Upon approval of the city attorney, the city clerk and the code reviser are authorized to make necessary corrections to this ordinance, including the correction of clerical errors; ordinance, section, or subsection numbering; or references to other local, state, or federal laws, codes, rules, or regulations. SECTION 6. - Effective Date. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force 30 days from and after its passage, as provided by law. we • 0 KIMBERLEY A(. 4 OMOTO, CITY-SCLERK November 15, 2022 Date Approved November 15, 2022 Date Adopted 6 Amend KCC 3.18.020, KCC 3.28.010 and KCC 3.28.130 re Fund Allocations for Tax Revenue APPROVE�O AS TO FORM: H ITE, CITY ATTO RN EY November 18, 2022 Date Published 7 Amend KCC 3.18.020, KCC 3.28.010 and KCC 3.28.130 re Fund Allocations for Tax Revenue