Park
Sales Tax on BOA Agenda
 |
| BY GREG WALTERS |
FIRST
READING TO TAKE PLACE
AT TUESDAY NIGHT’S MEETING
Ward 3 Alderman Ryan Myers has sponsored
a Park Sales Tax increase on the Tuesday, May 21st Agenda of the
Raytown Board of Aldermen. The bill will have its first reading at the meeting.
State law requires all city ordinances to receive two public readings before
they be voted on by the Board of Aldermen. The second meeting, when the bill
will be voted, is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4th.
LOOKING
BACK . . .
The proposed 1/8 cent sales tax was last
approved in 2010 for a 10 year term. The life of the current tax will terminate
in April of 2020.
The Park Sales tax has not been without
controversy.
In 2010 the Board of Aldermen decided to
“split” the proceeds from the sale tax between Park Department needs and storm
water runoff needs in Raytown. A determination of how the tax would be “split”
was not addressed.
All the same, many in the public
believed the split would be of a 50/50 nature. Half of the money going towards
Parks and one half of the money addressing storm drainage problems.
For reasons that have never been
explained, the first five years the tax was collected, 100% of the money went
to Raytown Parks and Recreation.*
It was not until five years had passed
that former Raytown Alderman Karen Black pointed out the discrepancy. The
solution arrived at was less than equitable. From that point forward 70% of the
available funds went to the Park Department with 30% going towards Storm Water
Drainage needs.
Clearly, an equitable “split” of the tax
revenue promised in 2010 did not materialize. Many voters in Raytown,
particularly those with storm water problems, feel they were duped into voting
for the tax.
The Raytown Board of Aldermen has an
opportunity to break away from the stigma of broken promises.
The Parks Department never paid any of
the tax dollars back to the city.
The Board should vote to create an
honest 50/50 split of Parks - Storm Water Tax. In that way the City can begin
to rebuild the trust that has been broken with the public.
Apologists for the Park Board argue that
Raytowners were well aware of the intricacies of the agreement that ended up
with a “split” of 70% to 30%. There are
many in Raytown who have flooding problems on their property and even in their
homes who would beg to differ.
What it comes down to is this – which is
more important – a splash park that would be open three months a year, or
Raytown homeowners not having to worry if their homes are being flooded.
*The Park Board never returned any
portion of the tax revenue they received those first five years.
State
Auditor to Address Board of Aldermen Meeting on June 4th
State
Auditor to Address Board of Aldermen Meeting on June 4th
Representatives from the Missouri State
Auditor Nicole Galloway's Office will be on hand to address the Raytown Board of Aldermen at the regular
Board of Aldermen meeting on Tuesday, June 4, 2019.
A State Audit of the City of Raytown as requested by Raytown citizens in petition drive last November.
The meeting is open to the public.
Questions and dialogue from the audience will be permitted at this public
hearing.
The Raytown Board of Aldermen meeting is
held at 10,000 East 59th Street. The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m.
Raytown
Democratic
Association Report BY PAUL LIVIUS
The Raytown Democrat Association (RDA)
held its monthly meeting last Thursday. The main topic of interest was the
proposed Park / Storm Water sales tax tentatively planned to go before the
voters in November of 2019.
Ward 5 Alderman Bonnaye Mims was on hand
to report the city’s business to the RDA members.
During her presentation she asked for a
straw poll of what members thought of the proposed tax.
Much to her surprise the showing of
hands showed a large majority of the members present were opposed to the Park / Storm Sewer Sales Tax.
Reasons for opposition to the tax varied
but most flowed around accountability of elected officials to a distrust of
intentions. Many stated they believed the repairing of the city’s storm sewer
infra-structure was of higher importance.
The Raytown Democrat Association meets
the third Thursday of each month at Las Chilis Restaurant located at 6210
Raytown Trafficway.
A social hour runs from 6:00 to 7:00
p.m., followed by a business meeting.
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Comments
Perhaps sitting that close to the mayor some traits have rubbed off...
The troubling part is that we believe a police chief selection has already been made. Someone with a big, fat RPD pension/retirement pkg looking to add another 100K+ to his year. The "usual suspects" and this candidate appear to be taking their time to acclimate/season/habituate everyone to the idea.
Your potential new chief warmed a seat for decades down in the basement. Never saw the guy. Not once. Never a peep from him. Now all of a sudden he's regularly out there on the streets getting his hands dirty with the rank and file. He also appears to be on tour. He's walking in and shaking hands with business owners who wonder the same thing: he's never crossed over our threshold in decades, now why all of a sudden with the palsy walsy?
There are worse candidates for the job in our opinion. This guy lands somewhere in the middle. It's just the sneaky, choreographed way they're trying to get this guy into office is what irritates us.
We do trust certain members of the Council implicitly and have full confidence in their objectivity and ultimate decision.
It's business as usual in Raytown, however and it's annoying.
We might need to talk about the smaller ones, but 1st we need to look at the two elephants in the room.
Are we at least breaking even on the BMX Park and the Baseball fields on 350.
If not fees need to go up to at least break even, but should actually be more for a reserve for any repairs to either.
Park board couldn't complain about this as they like a big fat reserve any way.
WAIT
We cannot forget the shell game being played with SuperSplash. Yes, that is what you call it we the park board closed it down then quickly put of basketball goals because of Federal Funds they took years ago to keep a park open at that location.
They have used the fact we don't have a local paper to try and cover this mess up, which with luck is park of the state audit.
We would be wrong to forget the number of paid staff in the parks department that cannot even explain what they do. Remember they don't have SuperSplash anymore, BMX is a dark hole of unknowns, and mowing is out sourced.
This my fellow citizens is on top of all kinds of answers as to how much I'd in reserves.
I with antone who is against giving the park board more money.
All in all "It your money"!
We need a professional that will clean up the department
YOU SHOULD ALREADY MAKE THEM BID OR OTHERWISE ASSIGN ONE PER SHIFT AND BE ON THE STREETS.
NOT DOING SO YOU HAVE CAUSE, BUT BEING THESE ARE REGULAR OFFICERS NOT THE CHIEF I AM NOT SURE YOU NEED CAUSE.
YOU ARE DOWN SIZING TO A MORE EFFECT DEPARTMENT/ ONE ON THE STREETS AND WE ALL KNOW THESE LAZY OFFICERS DON'T LIKE THE STREETS.
11:17 PM, I can understand your confusion, my bad really, so I'll suh-suh-slow down a little.
We weren't referring to the interim chief. He indeed is -also- out there with his rank and file. But he's ALWAYS done this and is STILL all over town. This individual is a true law enforcement administrator that has already contributed substantially to the Department in the very short amount of time since his his predecessor "retired". We're not going to convict him of guilt by association based on his employment where his work product (and allegiance) were more than likely being closely scrutinized by a well-worn clique, IOHO.
I'm referring to any basement-dwelling contemporary that hasn't really contributed DITKUS to the community in the last couple decades, IOHO. They've had their "time". They've had their "chance". It will be a very sad day if more of the same gets installed right under our noses into that office. Because they'll shake a few hands, kiss a couple babies, and after the fact burrow back downstairs into their office, and take up where they left off prior to their retirement. Except with an expense account, full benefits and an additional 100K+ yearly paycheck to boot.
Count me as one who wants the storm sewer work we were promised ten years ago.
Fix out problems. Then talk to me about funding tax $$$$'s for parks.
if they don't like it they most likely are not who we wanted to start with.
Earn your check like the rest of us or move on.
Also, we can wait it doesn't have to be jammed through this year. City staff already is trying to get moratorium to not do their job.
Watched the BOA meeting tonight (5/21).
How often do we have to repeat that the officer working at the library is working OFF DUTY and is being paid by the library.
Do you think he is on duty while he is there? This is what is called a "part-time job". I have a part-time job. Other folks have part-time jobs. This is not a new thing.
I am tired of the misinformation he puts out.
1) no one was demoted
2) no ones pay was cut
3) they laid no one off. They were going to but then enough went to other police departments, trained at your expense, that no one had to be laid off. Facts are important.
I'm going to guess it isn't you. In any event having a part time job while saying there isn't time to investigate serious crimes is a problem.
Poor leadership leads to expensive mistakes!
"having a part time job while saying there isn't time to investigate serious crimes is a problem."
Now we are dictating what someone can do with their own personal time?
Keep on with this agenda and more police officers are going to quit.
They are just now rebuilding and we need to keep that momentum going.
be cut as the chief increased the budget instead of reducing it as the city could no longer deficit
spend to the tune of 2.7 million. When are we all going to understand that the budget had to be cut
The chief found it easier to just have a fire sale with all leaving instead of planning the new balance
of officers. Maybe this is why the chief resigned, oh right he retired. Why would you quit your job
with 2 years left to go unless, oh maybe there is something to hide.
But we have a mayor who still considers himself a cop. He just can not get over it.
It's not that he considers himself a "cop", as much as it is that he appears to pander non-stop to a handful of his compadres. Fortuitous that we recently elected a few people into office that will manage his behavior and keep him sidelined when necessary.
Similar to how a patrol Sgt is part of patrol and also a Sgt. Nice try.