By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
Right on cue, here come the Johnson County commissioners and staff to try to scare voters into approving the sales tax for public safety. Don't fall for it, voters.
Commissioner John Segale has put out his opinion here.
His basic point: We're going to get your money for our public safety projects one way or the other, from sales tax or from higher property taxes.
Here's what Segale and others aren't telling voters: The county would get just under $20 million from the sales tax, which would actually generate $30 million from taxpayers.
Cities would skim the remaining $10-plus million off of the county's tax. And that spending would not be regulated in any way by language on the Aug. 5 ballot.
So here's the obvious question: Why not just go ahead and impose a property tax to raise the $20 million needed by the county?
And remember: The sales tax would go down by a quarter cent under this scenario. That would save millions for JoCo taxpayers, which would moderate if not erase the property tax increase on homeowners and business owners.
Or -- here's a dramatic, out-of-the-box question -- why can't the County Commission cut lower-priority projects to make room for the public-safetey initiatives?
In tight economic times, families have had to make similar decisions in recent months as food and energy prices have spiked.
County Manager Mike Press said Monday that the county was already taking $18 million out of the upcoming budget, partly due to lower assessment figures.
So it would be difficult, he said, to find more cutbacks in the county budget.
But that's where a property tax increase would come in, to take care of the public-safety projects.
And rejecting the sales tax would keep $10 million of undeserved funding for cities around the county.
To: justthefactsmaam
Let me take a guess what your day job is?
County commisioner, County employee, Public Safety employee?
Yael is right on track and so is JoCoNO.blogspot.com.
I agree with the Sherrif, and the Crime Lab Director, and the Director of JoCo Corrections: We need these facilities.
What we do not like is this:
Scare tactics about the efect on your personal safety from County Commissioners regarding the vote on this forever tax.
Irresponsible Government: Are you aware they are building a $60MM complex, and currently, today have no financing, or method to pay for operating expenses?
Would you build a $200k home, with no thought or plan on how you plan to make the mortgage payment, or pay to have electricity?
Here is a fact no one likes to talk about: JoCo Sherrif Dept annual budget is about $70MM annually, give or take a million or two.
They have been spending $6.71MM each year, for the last 2 years for staffing, for a facility that has yet to be built? That is almost 9% of the entire budget on staffing for a non-existent facility? Sound right to you?
Are you also aware this tax; which was intended for Schools, which will sunset 12/31/08, is now being put in place FOREVER?
Are you aware that there are absolutely zero checks and balances for the $20MM of tax revenue generated annually?
This is equivalent to giveing the county; the cities too; an open checkbook, that our great-grandchildren will be funding 50 years from now; to the tune of $20MM and $10MM annually?
I do not have that much trust in government.
And they have lived up to my expectations by writing the ballot language as they did.
People will not even understand what they are voting for; which is exactly as Anabeth and her crew have planned it.
Lastly, what do you think about the county working on this plan for 3-4 years and giving the taxpayers 28 days to learn, research, understand, ask questions before the vote?
I, personally think that stinks.
-FiestaDude