West Yellowstone to ask voters about increasing resort tax

The town of West Yellowstone is going to ask voters if they want to increase the resort tax to help expand water and sewer capacity and pay for other infrastructure projects.

The Legislature passed a bill earlier this year allowing resort towns to increase their local option sales tax from 3% to 4% to fund specific projects.

Town Manager Dan Sabolsky tells the Bozeman Daily Chronicle if voters approve the tax hike in November, it would raise an estimated $1.2 million annually. The money would be used to repay a $28 million bond used to finance a wastewater treatment facility, water storage tanks, new water and sewer lines and reconstruction of streets and sidewalks.

The tax would expire after the bond is repaid in 20 years.