RAYTOWN'S LEADING NEWS SOURCE

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Fair Taxation . . .

BY GREG WALTERS

Reasonable and fair taxation should be a goal of the Raytown Board of Alderman as they move into 2018. With that in mind, the Board should look back at mistakes made by their predecessors.

BROKEN PROMISES: One area past administrations have been guilty of is broken promises. In 2010 voters were promised the proceeds from a quarter cent sales tax would be split between storm sewer repair and City Parks. Voters approved the tax. It was collected for five years and ALL of the tax collected went directly to Parks. It was not until 2015 when newly elected Alderman Karen Black brought the issue to the Board’s attention. An agreement was made for future tax revenues to be split between Storm Sewer repair and the Parks. However, the agreement allowed for a lop-sided division of the tax dollars with the lion’s share of it going to Parks.

The incident, even the solution, left the city with a black eye.

The lesson here is the Board must be concise in its descriptions of how any new tax is to be used. Once the promise is made . . . keep it!

BAIT AND SWITCH: A tactic used by administrations was to create a new tax, and then use the revenue created to budget items traditionally paid from other revenue sources. Most people will recognize the Transportation Tax. This tax was supposed to be used to create a steady inflow of revenue to make certain Raytown Streets were kept in good condition. A good intention, but one not followed. Some of the Transportation Tax has found its way to pay for ongoing expenses like the ATA Bus Service to Raytown. Other parts of the tax are captured to pay the debt of 350 Live TIF Project (commonly known as the Walmart TIF).

All of those expenses are a far cry from what was promised the voters.

TAX ABATEMENTS AND TIF’S: Past City Councils have drunken deeply from TIF and Tax Abatement trough in the past, and we are paying for it now in lost revenue to the city. Our elected officials should learn from those mistakes. A moratorium banning all tax schemes that give developers tax dollars should be seriously considered by the Board of Aldermen. That would include all tax benefit districts currently available . . . particularly the one that encompasses all of Downtown Raytown.

NEW TAXES: Some members of the Board have suggested a two cents sales tax on gasoline. This idea has merit. Raytown could benefit from outside tax dollars coming into our city. City officials say the tax could only be used on street maintenance. Which sounds good, but it should also contain a clause that precludes the Board from using current and future budgets from taking money traditionally earmarked for streets to be used for other needs.

PROPERTY TAX INCREASE: According to the last census the median age in Raytown is over 55 years. That means more than half of our population in Raytown is either retired or nearing retirement. Many of those will be homeowners on fixed incomes. A property tax increase would be an unfair burden. The Board would be wise to find another way.

Finally, there is the ticklish issue of the Police Department. No doubt there will be some in the community who will want to see funds clipped from the city budget returned. The Board’s first consideration should be to bring management of the city’s funding to an even keel. They should take care to avoid the slippery slope of a tax and spend policy that brought the financial crisis to City Hall in the first place.

BY PAUL LIVIUS

What Does it Take to

Replace a Light Bulb?

Last week I was driving down 63^rd Street by the new Dollar General Store located next to Blue Ridge Elementary. I could not help but notice that the Dollar General sign was only half lit. Then I remembered. This was not the first time I had been down 63^rd Street and noticed the half lit sign. if memory serves me right, the sign has been burned out for over a month!

This is not right. The city bent over backwards to allow Dollar General to locate its store there. In fact, they did so over the objections of the people who living in the neighborhoods around the store.

I am quite certain the employees and manager of the store know the sign is no longer lit up. I mean, the “dollar” side is lit. The “general” part is not.

I was no fan of the store going in. But the city should at least make the owners of the store keep an appearance of professionalism in how the building is maintained.

So, if you work for the city in the codes department, why not send them a letter, or better yet, go visit with the manager and explain to them why the sign should be properly illuminated.

Or, do it not, and read about it on this page until it is repaired.  

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