As locals struggle to pay the bills this Summer, here's Golden Ghetto follow-up reporting on one of the biggest corporations in the world earning a fortuitous deal courtesy of politicos who don't like resisting big biz and are much happier passing the costs on to consumers. Checkit:
'Dark-store theory' ruling could cost counties millions
'Dark-store theory' ruling could cost counties millions
It wasn’t Johnson County which gave the epic tax break, it was the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals.
ReplyDelete......"adding that the tax burden likely will be shifted to homeowners...."
ReplyDeleteWell why not, that's the KCMO does it.
Use these box stores as homeless shelters.
ReplyDeleteAmazon is collecting taxes now. Shouldn't that makeup the shortfall?
ReplyDelete"adding that the tax burden likely will be shifted to homeowners...."
ReplyDeleteThe eternal question: should government bureaucracy be made to fit tax revenues, or must taxes be raised to fund the level of bureaucracy demanded by the bureaucrats?
Counties collect taxes for other taxing entities as well--especially cities and school districts, libraries, park board, etc.
ReplyDeleteThese entities, including Shawnee, have city councils that without taxpayer approval, set the mill levy every August, which orders the county how much to charge its taxpayers.
As 8:54 wisely notes, local governments do NOT want to live within "our means", they whip their city council members into raising the mill levy, even "just in case".
So, despite the fact that property values are rising big time in both Jackson County and Johnson County, councils, again--without taxpayer approval, will keep any windfalls from that rising tide.
I say no voter approval because councils set mill levies without a vote. The only method for fixing that is to un-elect them the next time. Ks. does have a Property Tax Lid Bill from 2017 that is so poorly written, nobody can diagram it in a sentence. So it is ignored by city councils and their attorneys.
Shawnee voters just voted down, 72% to 28%, a crazy $54 million unNEEDED community center which would have permanently raised property taxes.
One can only imagine if the city also had to provide a REFUND to our local Walmarts and Target stores!! Oy veh, would say the only Jew in Shawnee. (no emails please. Lighten up.)
Two incumbents on the Shawnee Council will probably be defeated in the Aug. 6 primary. Overbearing Stephanie Meyer, who fancies herself the Madeline Albright of East Timor, (south China Sea) where she lectured natives on water conservation in April. And goofy uninformed NKC Hospital HR attorney Lisa Larson-Bunnell. Who told voters interest and financing are two completely different things...when her ballot language was challenged. Her husband Nick Bunnell handles HER Visa card, thankfully.
A third councilman has thrown in the towel. So now we assume that city staff will be whipping and fluffing and wailing about raising the mill levy this August --starting with those 3 of 8 council members.
As you have witnessed in KCMO, after THAT election, departing council members often walk out the door sporting the middle finger salute to voters and taxpayers. KCMO pushing thru the trolley extension, despite voters saying hell to the no. And their new council will surely be coached to grab the profits, the windfall, from the county's gargantuan reappraisal. Why not? Since the elections were changed, from every two years, half of the council up for election, now they are ALL UNTOUCHABLE FOR 4 LONG YEARS!