by Alex Ponder

The Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board met in Phoenix in early January and approved a proposal to add to the governing board an ex-officio non-voting member to represent the interests of local governments.

The National League of Cities, along with its partner organizations, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Association of Counties and the Government Finance Officers Association, supported the proposal offered by Bruce Johnson, commissioner of the Utah State Tax Commission, to add this additional seat.

The Streamlined Sales Tax Project is a multi-state effort to modernize and simplify the sales and use tax provisions of member states through such measures as rate simplification and the uniform definition within tax laws, while allowing for the collection of sales taxes on remote sales.

There is legislation pending in Congress to provide Congressional assent to the project, which is necessary for participating states to implement the remote sales tax collection, though NLC is opposed to the current legislation as it would alter some important local authority over telecommunications taxes.

Though the project is primarily guided by the states, local governments must also conform to the agreement and are an important partner with the states in helping achieve its success and widespread implementation. 

Local government organizations are primarily represented at the project by a panel of 12, with three members coming from each of the participating local government organizations.

In addition to adding an ex-officio member to the governing board at the meeting in Phoenix, two of these local representatives have been elected to the Streamlined State and Local Advisory Council Steering Committee ? Sonny Brasfield, assistant executive director of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama, and Michael Bailey, finance and information services administrator of the City of Renton, Wash.

?The election of local government representatives to the State and Local Advisory Council Steering Committee, and the creation of an ex-officio seat on the Streamlined Governing Board ensures that local governments will be well represented in the streamlined effort, and creates a unique opportunity for state and local governments to work together as partners in a way that benefits both state and local governments,? said Bettye Griggs, principal auditor, Birmingham, Ala., and an NLC representative to the project.

NLC will continue to work with its partner organizations and representatives of the participating states to further mutual interests and add a local government voice to these important discussions.