City, County & Local Affairs Committee- House

My phone so. Basically this amendments that spoken consultation with the FNA was Some requested changing language in the original draft. Thank the primary concerns that they had a dress with me is that this would be an electronic report that they would pull from the D. F. and a site that would keep DNA from having prepared the report. the county or city would just have to register for access to their system. And that the information that was provided would be confidential At the city county local level it would remain confidential there and I think those are the main amendment. The from the committee on the amendment. Close. All rent off motion to He gave up of what except my amendment approved my amendment adopt my amendment is this motion I'll get out of here. Motion to pass through a do pass on the amendment in a whole lot easier when you get that draft ahead of time you don't have to go to the amendment state. all new and all in all in favor of adopting amendment. As have it now you can present your bill house bill eighteen seventy three. Basically eighteen seventy three is a bill that comes from I guess since I've been in Arkansas eighteen years of a request from the mayor's and local officials and and county judges about information and contain sales taxes and and that information for the businesses in in the city or county and we were always told that information was confidential cannot be release of the discussions with the FNA is where this bill came out of those discussions that that information is confidential but it is also available upon request if you if you want to do so this was to clarify that make this information let the cities and the mayors know that they can obtain this information and that's basically what the the bill will do is amend requirements concerning tax information that shall be provided to a city or county by the FNA and basically is a list of the vendors within that jurisdiction and it will give the information total amount of taxes collected under the gross receipts act. And they can they can pull that reported any time off of the system part of the amendment and that information remains confidential with that I'll entertain any questions. Any questions from committee. representative right. I apologize representative for missing the opening part of this but This bill is part of the United CS data gets sent out. Is that is that already for some of that information and in the report but this would be new information that that would be provided right now this reports not being provided to cities counties so this report and it in addition to giving you that the the NA my saying that right in in A. I. S. Code and then the amount of receipts for that code this will give specific information to what vendor business generates that code yes are not concerned that there's. Mission information there that. Opponents will like to have because once it gets put in on the on the county record books a city record books it's for your bill. It was a promotion would be non disclosed so I mean they they they they could release this information that's my understanding from the F. and the. So cities and counties cannot already get this information so but we're going to all required if a give this information cities counties upon request right it basically they'll have access the first part was covered in the amendment right now they they will sign up have access to the system and they can pull their own report from the FNA at the county and the city level and and this information will still be restricted protected information just as the is it D. F. and a at the city or county level. And the FNA is okay with that and help with the amendment to the to the bill okay and. Businesses are good with their information being Clause I released to another for a public entity. I. I'm not gonna speak for the businesses that I just think that this is a an excellent planning tool for cities and counties and and gives insight into the economic conditions within that community that will allow the city and the county to plan and also to strategically plan for downturns in in in tax receipts. Follow Mr. I guess what what planning purpose who they see if the if I'm looking at the code and I see electrical line and you know electrical sales have jumped up by two thousand percent. What what information might gaining by knowing which wholesaler supplier had a had a a boom club month urban quarter. Well I think it leads to that it in the in the past there have been over payments and and some monies have gone in a row to sleep Act that come back later maybe even businesses that that taxes have been credited to a different account there's not even a business in your district. Are in that in that municipality or county and then later those monies are taken back out so I think it would also allow the county in the city if they're watching this information and using this information to timely catch an error or a mistake so that they're not having to adjust their finances later in the year are in the later once said that errors discovered. but it would also I mean if you have a business in town and and you watched those revenues in those tax collections are directly tied to revenue then you can also judge the viability and an ongoing operation concern that business so so you'll know when you're going to take a hit to you can plant. Richard warn you have. Question. Thank you Mr the representative body We've been looking at this and and I thought there was another bill out there and maybe you can help me. We've been looking at some stuff later related to this in garland county. With this also break down like if they're rebates included in a category and because we we've had trouble. Like we just want to see what our hotels brought in for our specific businesses but the aggregate amount. Would be confusing to us but there was no break down. Of that total. The is are you I do I mean I know that I am familiar with that bill senator samples that run okay bill yes entity and and that's where I'd. We have drafted this or had this draft awhile back and they were okay with the language here but I think they had this language contained in samples bill so they wanted just to be consistent with what they were what they were putting out there but there is a bill that that deal strictly with the rebates and credits that will do the same thing And and basically allow the city or county to pull that information down as well so this just goes a little bit further and actually provides the sales tax collected. Okay so I mean. If you have something big happen in your community you're gonna be looking at a specific category is what I'm hearing from you is that correct right. Okay so this is the should be complementary bills I they they are complementary bills yes Sir. Represent right recognized thank you thank you Mr chairman of. Representative Howard. In a situation where. You had accounting are you had a city in that city have different portions and a County had different portions and some portions of that county may be. Doing great you know as far as financially but another part may not be doing so good at all but you needed financial help from on the federal level for certain areas of of the county or city would this be helpful for that. I think it would give insight I think it also would give insight to the city maybe for for grant processes or something along those lines to it if it's just you know the the more information you have all what funds and fuels your city I think the more it is just another tool that allows you to plan and take care problem from the arise and also to to recognize you know the contributors to your community the ones that are really outstanding that you may overlook. A. For any other questions from committee. Anyone signed up to speak for against this bill anybody in on. All the giants to table and identify yourself. John Wilkerson accounts the Municipal League add to be to be honest I I don't I really don't delve into this bill but our advisor councils did meet this afternoon about one o'clock at noon we will look at the bill we had we had a concern about that the confidentiality force not being there that's been added which was our main concern is we don't want to be in the business of having things that we have to get out they should be given out so that's been added so I can't give a lot of specifics on how this interplay was sent samples bill but I think that he that my understanding is correct that's the do sort of complement each other but now this has been an issue for us we we we appreciate the idea of giving us more access to information so that we can better plan I think this would this would certainly help that but again I'm I'm I apologize can answer hold a detailed questions about how would they were working D. F. and I and all that and stuff but I do want to voice our our support for the bill especially now it's been amended so thank you thank you in one speak up against the bill. For the bill. Represent made clothes for you. Mister chairman I'm closed and would move a motion to pass. As amended yeah let me get that language and as amended yes Sir has been we have a motion for a do pass on the bill as amended. A discussion on the motion. representative right. I. My only concern with this is a I see that the benefit of it as far as you can you can look at three seats on the different codes and categories and you can. Hopefully I realize if there's you know what categories are gonna have rebates and if you see certain vendors by name because what this bill does it actually is cities of the ability to not see that there's two million in sales and also but what more generated fifty percent of that And then its competitors generated the additional fifty percent of my the fifty of them might be a hundred of them the concern I would have with with this bill is it leads the the just because we're human to give priority or preference to somebody that might come to you of one of those high performers and if the mayor city council anybody has access county judge. Might be a little more partial to doing what they say because now they know this is this is what's driving or community in that that there's a there's a good good as that in about ages that so I just hope this committee can can weigh in on that I don't know if it's good enough to. Affect the the bill but. A discussion on the motion. Representative well I thought I'd like to be alive we can already access said all we're doing is just make a little easier access for the municipals for the county so and I think it's a it's a good idea it's moving forward with the electronics in just a paving the way for us to progress a little bit faster so I appreciate bill. Any other discussion. All in favor of the motion says. All opposed. Is habit representative may be it past your bill. Thank you thank you members of committee.