Voters in Hood River County will decide on Tuesday whether to add a 5 percent sales tax to prepared food and non-alcoholic beverage sales. Ballot Measure 14-66 proposes taxing food sold by restaurants, caterers, bakeries and coffee shops. The measure also proposes taxing dispensed soft drinks and beverages.

If passed, the tax is expected to generate about $1.8 million a year. According to county documents, the tax would fund county tourism services, including maintaining public parks and forest trails, environmental health services and the county History Museum.

An article by the Hood River News states the tax will affect food “meant for immediate consumption,” which means things like individual cookies and pastries purchased at coffee shops will be taxed, but things like whole cakes and loaves of bread won’t be.

In an editorial, the editor of the Hood River News urged residents to vote for the measure, citing a deficit of $1.6 million and $5.3 million in unmet needs for the county, made worse by dwindling timber revenue.

Although Oregon has no statewide sales tax, two cities have voted to impose taxes on prepared food and beverages. Ashland has had the rule in place since 1993. The Siuslaw News reported that Yachats began collecting a food and beverage tax in 2007.

Voters across the state must cast their ballots by 8 p.m. Tuesday for a number of races, including school boards and fire and water districts.

—Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR

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