SAVE THE DAY

I am sitting here wondering how to best remind everyone Tuesday is Election Day. The attached video from the 2016 Presidential Election is called “Save the Day”. Political ads come and political ads go . . . this one is a keeper.

USE THIS LINK . . . 
Save The Day

And then, if you have not already done so, go vote!

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Finally. . . 59TH STREET TO BE REPAIRED

After a year of having to maneuver through a treacherously unsafe stretch of 59^th Street, motorists will be happy to learn the city has finally decided to fix 59^th Street between Raytown Road and Blue Ridge Cutoff.

The sub-surface of 59^th Street began deteriorating last fall. The collapse manifested itself as the road surface sank into a jigsaw puzzle of extreme bumps and broken surface asphalt. The collapse of the road surface deteriorated even more after the  Raytown area was soaked with heavy rain storms in early October.

Anyone driving damage road surface could tell the manhole covers were no longer flush to ground by the sound the metal made as vehicles passed over them. 

Public Works Director Damon Hodges told the Raytown Report, "The 59th Street Project is a major undertaking. We are literally rebuilding a two block section of 59th Street in its entirety."

"The Gas Company and Water Company are removing the gas lines and water mains under the road surface in conjunction with the project," continued Hodges.

The project is budgeted to cost $392,292.00. A new street surface will be in place from just west of Elm Street to just East of Oxford.

"Weather permitting, we expect the section of 59th Street to be closed for at least one month," said Hodges.

59th Street was re-built from a two lane road to the width of a four lane road in 1998. In street years, that is not very long. When asked what went wrong with the road surface Hodges replied, "That is what we intend to find out."

Raytown Should

Focus on Street Repair

Last August voters turned down three tax increase proposals. Two of those tax increases (a doubling of the Property and Personal Use Taxes and an Internet Sales Tax) were defeated by lopsided margins that went way beyond landslides.

BY GREG WALTERS

The third proposal was a gasoline tax. It was also defeated, but not by the huge margins the other two tax proposals suffered.

It showed there is interest in ratcheting up the effort in the minds of many voters as concerns Raytown streets.

But it should not be forgotten the majority of voters did vote no. The real question to answer is why did they vote no.

One of the main reasons the gasoline tax failed in August was a distrust of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen to keep their word. Raytowners have learned that promises so eagerly made during campaigns by city officials are just as easily ignored once the the tax increases are approved.

Even the promise the (Raytown) Gasoline tax would be dedicated towards street improvements by Missouri law did not persuade the public to approve the 2 cents per gallon tax increase. (see Paul's Rant, “Bait and Switch” story below)

There is Another Way . . .

After many years of stagnation the Municipal Bond Market has shown signs of coming to life. Municipal Bonds have become a popular funding method to fund street maintenance over an extended period of time.

Bond covenants could be narrowly written to exclude any use of funds for any reason but for what is specifically stated in the bond covenants. This, in turn would keep city officials from using the funds for anything but what is promised.

Should the City, through its elected officials, attempt to use the funds for any purpose other than stated in the bond covenants, they run a very real risk of criminal prosecution.

Paul's Rant!

BAIT AND SWITCH

Raytown voters are all aware of the “bait and switch” tactic. 

When voters approved a Public Safety Sales Tax they were promised the money would be used to fund the Ambulance Service and Police Department.

A check of last year’s budget showed the Ambulance Service only received $109,853 from the Public Safety Sales Tax. The Police Department received $1,140,451.

Public Safety Sales Tax Revenue        $1,654,380.00

Budgeted for TIF debt                          $   300,000.00*

Allocated to the Raytown PD               $1,140,451.00

Allocated to the Ambulance Service    $   109,853.00

*Raytown Budget figures show 20% of the city's revenue from retail outlets in the 350 Live TIF (Walmart, House of Pancakes, etc.) goes to
 to pay down the debt created when the TIF District was formed.

This allowed those in favor of dismantling the Ambulance Service to claim they did not have the money to run the Ambulance Service.

This “made to order crisis" was eventually used to just justify the Ambulance Service being turned over to the Raytown Fire Protection District.

The Fire District has let it be known they will be asking for a Property Tax Levy increase to fill the need to fund the Ambulance Service under their watch.

Voters will have the final say on these tax increase issues within the next two years.

This means that Raytown voters will be in the unique position of voting on another dedicated tax to fund the Ambulance Service. Funding they were promised would be used for the Ambulance Service somehow ended up in the Police Departments budget.

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