Panel Kills Alltus’ Proposal To Study County Tax Distribution

Rep. Jeff Alltus tried unsuccessfully Wednesday to persuade a legislative committee to launch a study of how Idaho divides sales taxes among counties.

Committee members said it is too late in the session for such a study.

“I think if this had been that big a burning desire, maybe it should’ve been done a little sooner. We can always do it another time,” said Rep. Donna Jones, R-Payette.

The House Revenue and Taxation Committee agreed with Jones, with only two dissenters.

Alltus wanted an interim committee named to try to develop a fairer distribution of sales taxes. The current formula is based on 1965 business inventories, which shorts any county that has grown since the mid-1960s. Kootenai County is among the biggest losers.