Goodyear’s Gillis appointed to state tax commission

Goodyear Councilwoman Vicki Gillis has been appointed to the Arizona Municipal Tax Code Commission by Arizona House Speaker Steve Montenegro.

The commission reviews proposed changes to the Model City Tax Code, which provides rules for city and town sales and use taxes. Its duties include holding public hearings and approving or rejecting amendments.

The appointment follows an August audit that found the commission had delegated reviews of proposed amendments to the City Tax Administrators Council without clear statutory authority. The council is not recognized in state law or required to follow open meeting laws, limiting public transparency, auditors found.

“Arizonans deserve to know when changes to the tax code are being considered, who is proposing them, and how those changes could affect their families and businesses,” Montenegro stated in a news release.

Auditors recommended clarifying the commission’s authority and that lawmakers consider requiring informational public hearings on all proposed amendments. The commission and Arizona Department of Revenue agreed with the findings and planned to address the recommendations directed to them.