TKC MUST READ!!! KANSAS CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REFORM GROUP ARGUES AGAINST QUESTION 1!!!



A bold statement from this group of dedicated municipal guardians . . .

The Coalition for Kansas City Economic Development Reform issues official statement of opposition in an effort to inform voters on why they should vote no.

Kansas City, Missouri — The Coalition for Kansas City Economic Development Reform urges voters to vote no in the upcoming June election against the proposed sales tax increase for the Fire and Safety budget.

“I support our fire and safety department and we feel saddened that they are in need of funds, but voters should know that the same city council that has approved this ballot initiative gave Waddell and Reed a pass on paying into the very same fund that they need this tax for,” said Angie Lile, a community leader in the Waldo area and member of the Coalition.

Disproportionate Impact on the Financially Challenged

Many people in the Kansas City metro area are facing hardships due to the Covid-19 pandemic and many more will follow as it draws on an unknown amount of time. At the time of the vote, city council members did not know what life was going to look like in Kansas City today when they agreed to put this on the ballot. Hardships include medical emergencies, unemployment and even less options when it comes to purchasing needed goods and services. Raising prices for everyone would have a disproportionate impact on people who are financially and/or medically challenged and for some, would be the final nail in the proverbial coffin.

Mismanaged Funds

One of the many things that our taxes pay for is safety, both for police and fire protection services. The current sales tax for fire safety is not set to expire until 2036 so many voters are understandably confused as to why we need to raise the tax even more. The Coalition maintains that the City keeps diluting existing taxes by doling out taxpayer-subsidies for unpopular luxury housing and speculative class-A office towers. Many in the Coalition believe that our runaway incentive process is rife with conflicts of interest and should be brought to heel before we take on big new taxes like this one.

“Add to this that the city recently announced that they needed to audit our use of community improvement districts (which also add to the sales tax base) because these funds were not being properly managed and now we are talking about exceeding our saturation point on sales taxes in those areas if this passes,” Lile added.
Sarah Owsley with Empower Missouri and a Coalition member had this to say: "Residents of Kansas City should understand where our tax dollars go already. Too often they are diverted from the things we need, like fire / safety and instead invested in things someone wants, like empty office space. There is no doubt that the need is real in our Fire Department, however adding a sales tax during a global pandemic to make up for a budget shortfall that happens as a result of development incentives gone wild is not the answer.”

While you won’t see a postcard mailer from the Coalition asking you to “vote no”, the Coalition is a volunteer organization and has no funds for that, they do want to make sure that you turn out to vote if at all possible, against this unfair and inequitable tax.
The Coalition adamantly supports our fire and safety organizations by advocating for them at city hall, but do not approve of a tax that will disproportionately affect the growing population of disadvantaged Kansas Citians.
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You decide . . .

Comments

  1. Earnings Tax collections are kept behind a KCMO firewall to prevent the public from viewing the data. Would you be angry to discover that certain businesses are given a pass when it comes to paying their fair share of the Earnings Tax?

    SALES TAXES IN KCMO
    Capital Improvements 1.000%
    Parks & Recreation 0.500%
    Public Mass Transportation 0.500%
    Fire 0.250%
    Public Safety 0.250%
    Central City 0.125%
    KCATA 0.375%
    Forecast assumption: 1.5% annual increase.

    PROPERTY TAX RATES
    General Purpose $0.6834
    Debt Service $0.2707
    Health Levy $0.6837
    Museum $0.0190
    TOTAL CITY LEVY $1.6568
    Forecast assumption: 1.5% annual increase.

    UTILITY TAX RATES
    Utility Residential / Commercial
    Electric 6.0% 4.0%
    Natural Gas 6.0% 4.0%
    Telecom 6.0% 4.0%
    Cable 5.0% 5.0%
    Steam 2.4% 1.6%
    Water 2.0% 2.0%
    Forecast assumption: 3.5% annual increase.

    CONVENTION AND TOURISM TAX RATES
    Hotel/Motel 7.5%
    Restaurant 2.0%
    Forecast assumption: 1.5% annual increase.

    Yeah. We need to pay more in taxes in KCMO

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  2. No more taxes. Vote NO!!!

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  3. Vote NO people. Kansas City has been irresponsible for years now and it's the city who is robbing the Fire Dept and the Police Dept. Wise up.

    If this passes don't buy in KC don't support KC.

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  4. Sales tax isn't a good option for police and fire. Sales tax goes up and down with the economy. Sales taxis a good option for the "wants" not the "must haves". Rhetorical. The money all goes to overtime for the fire staff regardless. $250,000 annually for one firefighter to sleep... What am I doing wrong?

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  5. ^^You're here CHUD. That's what you're doing wrong. This passes easy. Sorry, not sorry.

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  6. Democrat greedy Firefighter union slobs scamming the taxpayers.

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  7. I agree with most of the points stated but FYI to be clear this new .5% increase replaces the .25% current tax that extends to 2036.
    So it’s essentially an .25% increase. You decide.

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  8. Let’s see, that effing idiot Frankie boi added an average of 15% property tax with a large amount getting above 300% added, There’s the most crooked 7 1/2% water tax of which 5% of that goes to the city (illegal by the way) and then this, isn’t KCP&L and Mge expected to get their increases approved this year too? Oh by the way, troy already came out and said expect another 15% hike in property taxes next time round so....

    The fire dept needs this money only for overtime, plain and simple. The fire dept keeps giving their employees raises so there’s a place they could start, hold their raises for a year, it won’t kill them. They get paid handsomely and can survive a year without a raise. I’ll bet you all other city employees won’t get raises and that moron Katherine shields is planning on getting rid of 750 employees to cover their losses. What’s wrong with this picture is everybody in the city has to sacrifice but the fire dept, city clowncil and the mayor. Let’s see who has the balls to stand up and say you know what? This is a bad time for everyone, let’s hold this until everybody is back on their feet.... Won’t happen but hey, it’s worth a shot.

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  9. Sorry, niggers. No more taxes to fund your irresponsibility.

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  10. No more taxes period! Give them the bike lane money!

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  11. Those pensions will soon be toast. The City has been nickel and diming,the taxpayers for Decades. And soon there tax base will be toast. Fewer tourist and Conventions. Who wants to visit the violent crime Capital of the World. That is why a few million will visit The Lake of the Ozarks and Branson.

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