It isn’t hard to see some residents’ opposition to the proposed one penny general purpose sales tax. They’ve got signs posted on their front lawns and in many visible locations throughout the county. What is hard is knowing why this tax is being proposed in the first place.
Readers of the Green River Star undoubtedly know about the funding challenges haunting local governments. Revenue challenges are what caused the county commissioners to decide not to solely fund ambulance subsidies, one of the key issues driving this tax proposal. However, it’s disheartening to see that local governments are just now trying to talk to voters about it.
What we’re looking at is a severe public relations failure from our local governments. A political action committee should have been formed before the commissioners approved the special election for the tax. Even without that, the moment the tax proposal was approved for a special election, local leaders should have been making a massive push to talk to people about why they decided to seek a 1% general purpose tax. This would be through initiatives such as town hall meetings and presentations in front of community organizations.
Yes, the Rock Springs City Council voted not to support the ballot initiative or fund a portion of the education efforts, but that shouldn’t have stopped the county commissioners or even representatives from the City of Green River from approaching voters in the county’s most populous city.
All of this would easily fit in with the idea of informing rather than promoting. But there was mostly silence for much of the time between the July 15 deadline to approve a special election and now. Initially, an educational flyer was planned to be released in September, but that was postponed after questions of how the flier could be worded led to a discussion between attorneys representing local governments and the state attorney general’s office. This hiccup represents how little research was done prior to the special election for the tax being approved.
Meanwhile, the Sweetwater GOP has wasted no time in making its position known. Signs urging voters to oppose the tax are seen in the front yards of residences and at some of the most highly-trafficked and visible places in the Green River and Rock Springs. All of this came while local governments struggled to get the word out.
They waited too long, and it may end up costing them the special election and the funding they claim they need.
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