The Unified Government Commission, meeting late into the night on Thursday, delayed the half-cent sales tax increase proposal for this year, but it may come back next year.
After a sometimes heated discussion on the proposed sales tax, Commissioner Christian Ramirez proposed continuing the discussion on it, with the possibility of putting it on the ballot in 2023. The original proposal was to put it on the ballot in the August 2022 primary. In a show of hands, commissioners agreed with the delay.
During discussion, Commissioner Andrew Davis said he felt the commission was wasting its time. He said the commission has been very clear on its stance previously.
“The commission wasn’t even considered, and we keep talking about it,” he said. “I would think that we would be considered.”
There weren’t even six commissioners willing to support it, he said.
Mayor Tyrone Garner said the meeting was to get the information to them, and there wasn’t a vote scheduled. Its purpose was to gauge what the commission wanted, he said. As he spoke, Commissioner Davis responded, but Mayor Garner said Davis didn’t have the floor, and the mayor added he wanted to finish what he was saying.
The UG parliamentarian reminded everyone to be courteous and not interrupt each other during the discussion.
Mayor Garner said he was hearing from the earlier remarks that evening that several commissioners were not against the sales tax, but they didn’t want it in August or November, and they wanted to push it out to 2023.
Mayor Garner said it wasn’t about him, but it was about the men and women wearing their uniforms, the police and fire personnel, parks department, roads that are underfunded and the community that deserves resources.
Commissioner Ramirez asked the mayor to meet the commission in the middle. “When have you asked us what we as a commission would want?” he asked.
Commissioner Mike Kane said he would not vote for any sales tax ever until the commissioners talk about what they want on the sales tax. The 5th District doesn’t have a park, he said, and the community center in Piper went back to the school district.
He has asked for years for a breakdown of the sales tax and hasn’t received it yet, he said.
He also thought that some of the projects on the list were overpriced or cost too much. He thought some projects were good. In previous budgets they always had the opportunity to speak their mind and say what they wanted, he added. He would like to see a park in the 5th District.
“I believe in a big community pool at Indian Springs,” Commissioner Kane said.
At the 5 p.m. UG Commission meeting, plans for the use of the proposed sales tax funds were presented by the police chief, fire chief, parks and recreation director and public works director.
Commissioner Brian McKiernan said the UG should continue with its prioritization processes in standing committees, and that was the right venue for bringing new projects in. They would be put with the other projects, then prioritized.
“The most important thing out of all of this, is we consider thoughtfully how we’re going to maintain those things that we build,” he said. They currently have infrastructure that they cannot maintain, he added.
To talk about building a community center with a swimming pool at an unknown location, when they don’t know what will happen to the Parkwood Pool, raised more questions and needs to be dealt with at a later time, according to Commissioner Gayle Townsend.
Commissioner Angela Markley said they need to start having the discussion now about a future sales tax, but she wasn’t interested in having the tax on the ballot this year.
Commissioner Melissa Bynum said she wanted a legal opinion on the validity of utilizing a city sales tax for items such as a county park and the building of facilities that would house county offices. The proposed half-cent sales tax was only on sales in the city of Kansas City, Kansas.
At the 5 p.m. UG Commission meeting, there also was a presentation about how to spend the half-cent sales tax funds, and the commission had questions about that presentation as well.
The commission heard proposals for projects that the sales tax might pay for, including new police and fire stations, a fire training facility, a new recreation center, more spray parks, a city services hub and some street improvements.
Debbie Jonscher, UG deputy chief financial officer, said at the 5 p.m. meeting that the 10-year half-cent sales tax would generate $200 million, with $1.5 million in the first year.
“We can’t afford to maintain what we already have,” Commissioner McKiernan said at that meeting. He said he has attended infrastructure meetings, and he asked how the UG could build more and maintain it. If funding isn’t increased for infrastructure, the UG will have gravel roads in about 10 years, he said.
He also asked how the projects presented April 28 matched the UG’s capital maintenance improvement project priorities, or did not match them.
Commissioner McKiernan also questioned whether the half-cent sales tax would generate $200 million over 10 years.
The current 3/8-cent sales tax for fire, police and public works now generates around $9 million a year, he said, so he asked how a half-cent sales tax could generate $20 million a year.
Commissioner McKiernan also asked how the current 3/8-cent sales tax is insufficient for projects the UG wants to do.
Jonscher said the current 3/8-cent sales tax is used for police and fire service operations and infrastructure. There are police and fire personnel who are funded through that 3/8-cent sales tax, as well as some infrastructure projects, she added.
Some projects, such as fire stations, are already in the UG’s CMIP, she said. Some are already budgeted. She said they would need to follow up with the chief financial officer and look at the projected amounts of the revenue the sales tax would generate.
Police Chief Karl Oakman said the police department’s two main projects were a new Northeast Patrol Station that would possibly include a gym and community space, and a new, larger West Patrol Station.
Fire Chief Mike Callahan’s top projects were six new or reconstructed fire stations, and the n ew fire training facility.
Angel Obert, director of parks and recreation, said one of the top projects is a new recreation center at a central location with an indoor pool, indoor walking track and fitness equipment. She also proposed adding five new splash parks throughout the community, similar to one currently at Eisenhower Recreation Center.
Jeff Fisher, public works director, said governmental services could be put in the middle of the county. He mentioned it would include transit, aging, human services, municipal court, appraisers and motor vehicles departments. He also discussed improving the Indian Springs corridor, as well as improvements to the Douglas and Key Lane areas.