Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday approved by City Council (April 19-25)

Going green is something that the Rolla City Council is backing up with action as they demonstrated by unanimously approving an ordinance allowing the 2010 “Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday” to apply to the local sales taxes of the City of Rolla between April 19 through April 25.

In essences, the Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday encourages the purchase of certain qualifying energy efficient appliances by exempting them for sales tax, and thereby reducing the consumer’s cost for such appliances. By offering incentives that reward consumers for being energy efficient, it is hoped that consumer awareness will help reduce energy consumption across the state, and have the added benefit of promoting retail sales activity in the Rolla area.

Qualifying appliances, which must be Energy Star certified, include clothes washers and dryers, water heaters, trash compactors, dishwashers, conventional ovens, ranges, stoves, air conditioners, furnaces, refrigerators and freezers. An Energy Star certified appliance is any appliance approved by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

The ordinance, however will not apply to any retailer when less than two percent of the retailer’s merchandise offered for sale qualifies for the sales tax holiday. In such instances, the retailer will offer a sales tax refund in lieu of the sales tax holiday.

Improving energy efficiency throughout our community, including City facilities, is something the City of Rolla is very committed to. To be successful, a green community needs to consider a variety of ways its citizens and businesses can reduce its carbon footprint, and promote an environmentally friendly way of living. Engineers from Siemens Technologies, Inc. are currently conducting an energy audit, consisting of the mechanical and electrical systems at Rolla City Hall, the Rolla Police Department, the Rolla Fire Stations #1 and #2, The Centre, SpalshZone, and the City’s three wastewater distribution systems. The assessments will range from lighting and water improvements to aeration system upgrades, and new energy efficiency systems, equipment and technology.