In fact, one commissioner says the county is actually looking at less taxation. The commission might reduce the county's restaurant sales tax.
The question over taxes surfaced this week when the Orem City Council voted to alert Utah County officials - as required by state law - of its intent to submit the sales-tax increase question on the city's November ballot.
The Utah statute requires the county to pass a resolution within 60 days that states commissioners are not going to seek the tax or to inform Orem that they will be throwing the same question onto the countywide ballot.
County commissioners earlier this week said that while they do not intend to pursue the tax, Orem is free to venture down that road.
"We had it on the ballot before I was elected and it was turned down by the voters," Commissioner Steve White said.
"I would rather have the unit of government choose to spend money rather than levy a special tax just for something," he said.
The so-called "RAP" or "ZAP" tax revenues would be used to fund recreational, cultural, zoological and biological facilities and organizations within the county, or in Orem's case, the city.
Commissioner Jerry Grover said the tax "failed miserably" at the polls in 2002 because, among other things, voters simply did not want any increase.
"People can only stand so much tax increase," he said. "If I was going to pick one to go to on the ballot, it wouldn't be the ZAP tax."
Grover, commission chairman, said the county may need to go to the ballot for jail expansions or road improvements. He also said the county may still need to pursue the quarter-cent sales tax for Interstate 15 improvements.
The proposed Orem hike would raise the city's sales tax from 6.25 percent to 6.35 percent. Funds would go to bolster cultural programs. The city's Cultural Arts Advisory Commission recommends the city use at least 80 percent of the additional funds for cultural arts.
Orem City Councilman Doug Forsyth estimates that close to half of Orem residents voted for the tax when it was on the county ballot a few years ago, and he thinks the majority of the city's voters are in favor of supporting the cultural arts.
"If the citizens determine they want to go ahead with it, we will have to sit down and see where to put it and where it can do the most good," Forsyth said.
