HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-1216 Documents Submitted at the Mtg
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RECEIVED
DEC 01 2014
November 21, 2014
Mr. Dave Kanner
Ashland City Administrator
20 East Main
Ashland, OR 97520
Re: Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market and collection of the City of Ashland Food &
Beverage Tax
Dear Mr. Kanner,
Upon further review of the letter your office sent to us, we noted that while the original list of
vendors we supplied you included those registered with the county health department for the sale
of processed foods, it did not include those vendors who sell immediately consumable baked
goods among their products.
In further show of the Market's cooperation with the City, we have attached this amended list of
vendors who may be liable for the collection of the City's Food & Beverage Tax as sellers of
immediately consumable foods.
In addition to selling immediately consumable food products, such as cookies & croissants, these
vendors also sell take-home grocery items, like breads and jams. Upon our initial review of your
letter, we did not realize that they may be subject to tax collection and are now including them in
the interest of full disclosure.
Sincerely,
RVGCM
Monica Rey, President
Market Locations & Times
Rogue Valley Growers & TUESDAYS THURSDAYS SATURDAYS SATURDAYS
Crafters Market 8:30a - 1:30p 8:30a - 1:30p 8:30a - 1:30p 9:00a - 1:00p
P.O. Box 4041 Ashland Medford Armory Ashland Medford
National Guard 1701 S. Pacific HWY Oak Street The Commons
Medford, OR 97501 Armory 3/13 -11/25 5/3 -10/25 6th & Bartlett
(541) 261-5045 1420 E. Main St. 5/3 - 10/25
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December 140', 2014 UMAO)
Re: Food and Beverage Tax
To The Ashland City Council:
1. This tax is for getting money from tourists. The Growers Market is not a tourist attraction.
Less than 5% of our customers are tourists.
2. The burdens on micro businesses & local family business are severe. Now when our
incomes are at their lowest in years, you come after us for more taxes.
3. Our restaurants that sell food on Tuesdays are forbidden from selling in downtown Ashland
on Saturdays. We are treated as 2`d class citizens, we are denied a basic right to do business
in downtown. To have the same rights as the downtown restaurants, do we have to pay the
same amount of taxes? So we've been excluded from doing business downtown, but we've
also been excluded from paying the food and beverage tax. I can see fairness in this. Now
we are asked to pay the food and beverage tax, and we are still to be excluded from
downtown. I see no fairness in this.
4. Lets talk about fairness. This tax is not a fair tax. A restaurant in Ashland must pay a 5%
tax, but a boutique next door (that sells to lots of tourists), does not have to pay a 5% tax.
The largest group of businesses in the City of Ashland are excluded from the tax. No one can
say this tax is a fair tax.
5. Lets talk about exemptions. The Ordinance prohibiting plastic bags has exemptions in it,
one, specifically exempting the Growers Market. The Transient Occupancy Tax ordinance
exempts businesses charging low rents, it exempts RV and camping parks, to name just a
few ordinances. The City of Ashland clearly recognizes that it is in the best interest of
everyone involved to make exemptions.
6. If someone grows and cans a small amount of fruit from their property (by state law they
would be exempt from regulation), how are they to sell there products? They can't open a
business in town, they simply can not make enough money to pay the costs. The Growers
Market allows people to make and sell products in very small amounts. These products
would otherwise never get from producer to customer. This is neighbor selling to neighbor.
7. Some of the micro businesses at the Growers Market go on to become large businesses.
Why would someone go through so much work for so little money? A micro business is often
the only way a poor, or low educated person can start and build a business.
8. Clearly the right thing for you to do is to leave things as they have been for the past many
years. Leave this tax for the permanent downtown businesses that will collect a large part of
sales from tourists. Let the micro, part time, restaurants have a chance to stay in business
and don't burden the people of Ashland with more taxes. Please, let local people help local
people.
Jerry Painter
Daddy's Donuts, RVGCM