Commission Briefs

Commissioners lower gambling tax

Commissioners approved 2-1 lowering the county gambling tax rate from 5% to 3% at the Feb. 26 meeting, with Commissioners Sharon Trask and Randy Neatherlin voting “yes” and Commissioner Kevin Shutty voting “no.”

The change will mean about $35,000 less annually for the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, according to Mason County Treasurer Lisa Frazier.

The sheriff’s office gets the revenue collected from the tax, Frazier said.

Mason County’s gambling tax rate will now match Kitsap’s at 3%.

Three businesses in Belfair, one in Allyn and two in Shelton pay gambling taxes on pull tabs.

Gwen Casey, who owns Casey’s Bar and Grille in Belfair with her husband, pays the pull tab tax and spoke before the vote, urging commissioners to lower the rate.

“It’s becoming very difficult to sustain … all the taxes,” she told commissioners. “We could be more comparable with surrounding counties.”

Gambling tax rates for neighboring counties are Pierce at 2%, Grays Harbor at 2.5% and Thurston at 5%.

Tim Masbruch, owner of Bent Bine Brewery in Belfair, told commissioners he was looking into selling pull tabs at the brewery.

“I was surprised to hear that Mason County had one of the highest rates around,” he said, referring to the gambling tax rate. He questioned why Pierce County, with its large population, had a lower gambling tax rate.

“They can do it with a lower rate, I don’t see why we can’t do it for a lower rate here as well,” he said.

Shutty said he had reservations about lowering the tax because the money “goes right into the general fund and supports our sheriff and law enforcement.”

Shutty said if those funds are reduced, cuts would have to come from somewhere else.

Trask shared Shutty’s concerns, wondering how the commissioners could keep the sheriff’s office funds but also help business owners who pay the tax.

Neatherlin pointed out the county has done “exceptionally well” financially.

“We have so much money in the bank these days that we need to either give back or we need to provide more services,” he said.

Neatherlin said lowering the tax may help generate revenue in other ways, such as bringing in more business.

Trask ultimately voted with Neatherlin for the lower tax while Shutty remained unconvinced of the benefits.

The revised ordinance will have “better tracking and collection,” in addition to the lower rate, according to Frazier.