The Yakima City Council will be busy tonight -- they're expected to discuss the designs for a downtown plaza and reduce the utility tax when they hold their first meeting of the month.

City Manager Tony O'Rourke says designer Kathryn Gustfason has created five uniquely different designs for the council to consider. Four of the designs are for the area in front of the Capitol Theatre on North Third Street and one is for the parking lot on North Second Street.

O'Rourke says once the council selects one of the five designs the chosen design will go back to the designers to fully flesh out by late September or early October.

When the final design is chosen the city will begin the process of finding funding and possibly taking an advisory vote in 2015.

Also tonight, council member Rick Ensey wants to roll back the city utility tax from 6 percent to 4 percent to give taxpayers a break because he says the economy is improving.

In July the council voted to roll back the tax only if it can agree where the money will come from. Tonight the city will talk about either cutting staff positions or taking the money from the general fund.

City officials say the tax was increased several years ago and the money was dedicated to public safety needs, which means the money Ensey wants to give back to taxpayers would have to come from other sources -- such as cuts in the general fund, since utility tax money is dedicated to public safety.

Tonight's meeting starts at 6 in the City Hall Council Chambers, 129 N. Second St.

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