Taos Mayor Darren Cordova now wants to postpone a referendum on the ¼ of one percent increase in Taos Gross Receipts Taxes. He thinks the recent unexpected County property tax hike and general economic conditions are tough enough on hard-pressed Taosenos. He will ask the Town Council to consider repealing the GRT approval ordinance at next Tuesday’s (September 28th) Council meeting.

Meanwhile, the town will continue to consider cutting costs beyond the 20 percent achieved during the past two years. Community discussion of a future GRT increase will continue and a constituent task force will be suggested.

Last night’s Citizens Forum to discuss the Taos Town Council’s vote to increase local Gross Receipts Taxes by 25 cents per 100 dollars spent was open to all. Just a few dozen people showed up. Yet, 30-times that many signed the petition that will likely force a public referendum on the issue come December.

An opposition leader spoke somewhat harshly of the Council’s state-sanctioned right to vote the tax without a referendum. Some election-petition signees supported the tax, but wanted the Council to work harder and more clearly to explain their revenue plans.

Councilmember Rudy Abeyta, recognizing the likelihood of a coming election, appealed to the people to support the tax; and thus the community.

The citizen forum on the proposed one-fourth-of-one-percent increase to local Gross Receipts Taxes has been postponed. It had been scheduled for today, Wednesday, but, due to the death of Councilmember Rudy Abeyta’s father-in-law, Eli Arrellano, it has been postponed. Our condolences and best wishes to the family.

The citizen forum will be held next Tuesday, September 14th, 6:30pm at Council Chambers on Civic Plaza Drive.

The petition against the Council’s unanimous vote to raise the tax has gathered 367 signatures. That means the tax matter will be put to a public vote, probably in the first week of December.

People who spoke last week against the one-fourth-of-one-percent increase in the Gross Receipts Tax for the Town of Taos won’t take “no” for an answer. In spite of their comments, the Town Council voted unanimously for a tax increase.

Jerome Lucero and others have worked-up a petition to put the tax increase to a vote. They submitted their petition to the Town for review. Once they get approval for the wording, they need about 200 signatures from registered voters. If that happens, a special election could be held within 2 ½ months of the signatures’ verification.

Lucero claims the Council is breaking the law, although the actual increase is made up of two one-eighth-of-one-percent increases to be sure the Town met State law requirements. Lucero thinks people are fed-up and want to have their say.

Council member Gene Sanchez spoke last night in support of the one-fourth-of-one-percent Gross Receipt Tax increase. Although the ordinance has passed, Sanchez wants to reach out to people who want to stop it with petitions and referendums.

Sanchez said he basically distrusts tax-and-spend policies and admitted that the Town of Taos government is top-heavy. He says the Taos restructuring plan now in the works will seriously reduce growth in spending. In the meantime, however, he thinks we must have the GRT income to support continued economic development.

Sanchez offered to personally go through all the financial evidence with any interested groups or individuals. He thinks that, with the economic facts in hand, opponents would change their minds just as he has.

The Taos Town Council on Tuesday unanimously passed the one-fourth of one percent Gross Receipt Tax hike. That means any four dollars you spend in Taos next year (other than food or medicine) will cost you an extra penny. Assuming the New Mexico Tax and Revenue Department approves the completed ordinance, the tax will take effect on January 1st and the Town will see the increase in receipts next March.

The increase is intended for Public Safety and Economic Development and is discussed further in Town Manager Daniel Miera’s Proposal Summary titled “Restructuring the Town of Taos.”