In Park County, an extra 1-cent sales tax is a tough sell.

Out of Wyoming’s 23 counties, Park County is one of only two that has a sales tax rate of 4 percent.

Voters shot down a proposal to add a 1-cent tax to fund infrastructure projects in 2012. The tax saw more support in Powell, where it came close to passing within city limits. But with 60 percent of voters opposing the measure county-wide, it was a pretty resounding defeat.

Park County voters similarly denied a 1-cent tax proposal for West Park Hospital in 2010. Around 66 percent of voters county-wide voted no, while 84 percent of Powell area voters opposed the measure.

With statistics like that, local government leaders are understandably gun-shy about proposing a new sales tax in 2016.

“I think it’s the general consensus that if we can’t do better than we did the last time (in 2012), then there’s no sense trying,” said Powell Mayor Don Hillman in an interview last month.

Officials recently started discussing the idea of another sales tax, but they haven’t made any formal proposals.

If leaders decide to move forward, we would like to see a detailed explanation of exactly how they’ll spend the money.

For example, Powell officials have discussed the need to widen Absaroka Street for decades. When the 1-cent tax was proposed in 2012, Absaroka Street was named as one potential use of the new money.

However, it was one project among several possibilities for the city of Powell. Similarly, leaders in the county, Cody and Meeteetse also came up with relatively vague lists of potential maintenance and infrastructure projects. 

We believe that was part of the problem in 2012.

As Park County Commission Chairman Joe Tilden said, the tax pitch three years ago “painted a very broad brush with infrastructure needs, and the majority of people aren’t really aware of what those infrastructure needs are.”

For a 1-cent tax to succeed, voters must have a clear understanding of those needs.

We understand voters will be hesitant to pass any new tax measure, but we also realize the cities and county have infrastructure projects that cannot be funded with their current revenue streams.

Park County voters last approved an extra 1-cent tax in 2006. The tax helped pay for the Powell Aquatic Center, Park County Library in Cody and the pool in Meeteetse. It was a specific purpose tax, so it automatically expired when the specific amount — $13.2 million — was raised.

As leaders begin to discuss the possibility of a new tax, we’d suggest they consider a specific purpose tax, presenting voters with a clear list of projects and a set dollar amount.

Like fellow local voters, we are hesitant to welcome a new tax proposal. However, if the needs are clear and the process is clearly communicated, it may be worthwhile to pursue another penny for Park County.