OGDEN, Utah — Starting October 1, shoppers in Weber County will pay more, with a new 0.2 percent sales tax increase.
According to Ogden Weber Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Chuck Leonhardt, the money generated will go to essential emergency and public safety services and transportation.
"We're using the money here locally to benefit the community,” said Leonhardt. “From a business standpoint, we never like to see tax increases, right, and neither do consumers, but we have to have ways of funding things."
Leonhardt said it’s about two cents more on a ten-dollar purchase.
"It’s such a small amount that it’s probably not even going to be noticed in most cases,” he said.
The Weber County commission approved this 'Fifth Fifth' local option sales tax earlier this summer. Gage Froerer, Weber County commissioner, said he hopes the increased revenue streams help the county and cities rely less heavily on property taxes.
"I think sales tax is a far more fair tax, equitable tax than property tax,” Commissioner Froerer said. “So what this does is it doesn’t put it on the backs of our homeowners, property owners, commercial land owners; it puts it on the back of people using the services.”
We spoke to about ten businesses around downtown Ogden to see how they felt about the increase in sales tax. None of them said they knew about a sales tax increase around the corner — including Jenny Venegas at the Local Artisan Collective.
"I wish they would have told us; this is the first I’m hearing about it. We didn’t get a letter or an email,” Venegas said. "My first response is surprise, and I don’t think it’s the best timing with everything so heavy in our economy and inflation. And I’m worried on a personal level for things I have to buy; I have to pay more money for right now.”
She said it’s been tough for artists with the rise in the cost of everything. Many of them have had to increase their prices, and she hopes the increase doesn't hurt business or deter people from shopping locally.
"Every time you try to nickel and dime people, it’s going to eventually be felt, and their spending is going to slow down,” Venegas said. “I don’t know if it will stop completely, but definitely, it will slow down."
