During the meeting of the Saline County Commission on Thursday, October 31, Presiding Commissioner Kile Guthrey Jr. said the commission had some time ago opted out of participation in passed legislation to impose a statewide 3-percent tax on prepaid cell phones and plans because it appeared it would cause a loss in revenue the Saline County 9-1-1 Center would receive.
Guthrey said there has been a change in legislation made in 2019 when the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 291, which in a section of it removed the ambiguity created by the Department of Revenue’s informal opinion. This means that if the commission would “opt back in”, the 3-percent tax on prepaid cell phones and plans would not cause a 9-1-1 center or a county a loss in revenue but would rather add to the tax base of the 9-1-1 center.
The commission understands that legislation appears to establish a deadline of November 15, 2019, so commissioners took the action of opting back in to the tax.