Kalispell council votes to increase light tax

The Kalispell City Council unanimously passed an ordinance Monday night to expand the light maintenance district tax to include all properties within city limits.

The updated tax, which takes effect on Jan. 14, is set to raise an additional $149,000 per year for the next six years.

City officials said that if the tax had not been updated, the city would have been unable to adequately fund public lighting systems as early as next year. The last tax increase for the light maintenance district was in 2003.

According to the ordinance, properties within 300 feet of a street light will be charged an annual tax of 0.33 cents per square foot, up from the previous 0.30 cents per square foot. Those parcels not within 300 feet of a street light or in subdivisions with private lighting systems would pay half that amount: 0.165 cents per square foot.

The tax increase was justified as being necessary to keep up with inflation for electrical bills, maintenance and staff salaries.

Several homeowners spoke against the tax during a public hearing at the council meeting, voicing concern that homeowners living in private developments would technically pay twice: once to maintain their own private lighting systems and again to pay a citywide tax to support all lighting.

Mayor Mark Johnson explained that the entire city utilizes public light systems such as traffic signals, park lights and lighting on the public golf course.

Over 50 percent of the light maintenance budget is projected to benefit lighting in public places such as downtown decorative lights, street lights in high-traffic areas, traffic signals, parks and the golf course.  

The city previously received $236,000 a year from the light maintenance fees. The revision is expected to increase that to $385,000.

The higher light taxes will be in effect for six years, and then will need to be re-authorized by the council every third year.

An updated version of a pawn shop ordinance has been tabled again for further discussion. Council members felt several of the sections were worded inadequately, which could potentially lead to abuses.

The ordinance would require both pawn shops and secondhand stores to use software called LeadsOnline, which would connect the inventory of those businesses to the Kalispell Police Department.

The original ordinance was reviewed at an Oct. 6 council meeting, but local pawn-shop owners and employees attended the meeting to voice multiple concerns. The ordinance has since been revised.

The main disagreement council members voiced was that the punishment for non-compliance was too strong, since the document stated that if the business does not submit their inventory on time, “the Police Department shall serve a cease and desist order upon the business” until they comply.

The ordinance will be discussed again at a future council meeting, at which time council members plan to make amendments.