In February of 2009 Ponderay City Council had approved a resort city tax increase of 0.5%, which would have raised the resort city sales tax to 6.5%.  This proposal failed to gain enough approval and did not make it to the voting stage.

Ponderay city council unanimously approved a resort city tax increase of 0.5%, raising the city sales tax to 6.5% 2 February 2009.  City residents must now vote for this increase to become law 17 February 2009.  If passed, the new tax will be in effect for 15 years, or until Ponderay reaches a population of 10,000.