Publication Date: 08/13/09
As St. Augustine City Attorney Ron Brown rewrites proposed rules for vendor sales in the Plaza de la Constitucion, it's time for the state of Florida to enforce sales tax collections.
During Monday's city commission meeting, downtown merchants weighed in on their competition in the Plaza for sales.
Because of court orders, the Plaza is a wide-open marketplace with sales of virtually anything allowed. A recent federal court order allowed artists to return to the Plaza to sell their work, and a county judge has ruled that the city's Plaza sales rules were unconstitutional.
The commission asked Brown to write a new ordinance, but it won't take effect until late September.
Some merchants who spoke Monday said sales of similar articles in their own stores or those of others have declined because of Plaza vendors. One merchant said she has complained to the state that the vendors are not collecting sales tax. We hope the state takes her complaint seriously and investigates any violations.
City Manager Bill Harriss said only the state can enforce sales tax collections. He said that the proposed Plaza vendor sales ordinance will require a prospective vendor to have a sales tax permit. That's good news for everyone.
The state has lost billions of dollars in sales tax revenue because of the declining economy. Fewer people spending means less sales tax collected.
When sales tax isn't collected, that loss also affects state revenue that comes back to St. Johns County, the City of St. Augustine and other municipalities.
The Department of Revenue needs to ensure that vendors in the Plaza now are following the same laws store merchants do.
Fair is fair.
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