Harrisonville Looking to Raise Sales Tax Again
Posted By J.T. on March 28, 2010
After voters approved 2 sales tax increases last year, Harrisonville is again looking for a 3/8% increase in sales tax.
1/8 went to police and 1/4 went toward Fire/EMS, effective October 1, 2009. The new sales tax would build a new City Hall and Police Station.
The ballot language is as follows:
Shall the City of Harrisonville, Missouri impose
a sales tax of 3/8th of one percent for the
purpose of providing funds for capital
improvements, limited to acquiring land and
constructing a new City Hall and Police facility
and furnishing and equipping the same, such
sales tax to be imposed for such time as any
obligations issued for the purpose of acquiring,
constructing, furnishing and equipping such
City Hall and Police facility shall remain unpaid,
and thereafter the sales tax shall end?
The sales tax in Harrisonville is currently 7.350% unless you shop in one of the many Transportation Development Districts, where the rate is 8.350%. This increase would change the rate to 7.725% and 8.725% respectively.
The question will be on the April 6 ballot.
J.T., the author of this obviously slanted post has apparently not researched the topic or toured the facility. If he had he would have titled it differently and written about it’s unsafe and dalapidated condition. The sales tax increase is the best way to spread the cost to the citizens as well as the visitors who shop in Harrisonville instead of looking at other options including property tax increases.
We’d love to post a press release from any Board members as to the reasoning for this sales tax increase. City Hall and area media outlets have been eerily silent about this issue.
I’m not sure why you think the post was slanted (because I mentioned the 2 increases in sales tax that passed last year?).
It would be nice to know why the new facilities are needed.
We have tried to encourage citizen involvement in this process in 2009 a survey was done and 57% of those involved agree with the concept that new buildings were needed. Nearly 100 volunteers have set on the Team 21 and the Strategic implementation committee and voted Unanimously For the new site and the new building. We have had press releases inviting the public to come see the buildings an open house was held last week both day and evening. I think as a voter sometimes we should take responsibility and get informed and I would ask for your effort to go see the buildings and the work conditions and remember the first impression a new resident or business sees of our community is City Hall…..I am extending another invitation on here for anyone to come by and we will give you a tour. Thanks Your Mayor
I’ve seen City Hall. It truly is an embarrassment. I’ll be voting yea on this because it sounds like a real improvement for the town. The Mayor’s point about first impressions is quite good I think Although, I would argue that some even earlier first impressions of Harrisonville are, oh, the shitty trailer park on Commercial, the Bazaar Bazaar, the empty retail strip behind McDonalds, and the deadness of the town square. But I’ll be voting yea on this because it sounds like a real improvement for the town. Can we at least get this blight off the main street, please, Mr Mayor? I must add, however, the town really does look a lot better than it did a few years ago when I first laid eyes on it. So, props for that, and I hope we get our new City Hall. It could be something we could all be really proud of.
Thanks for the support. I agree we have a ways to go and we continue working with property owners. I also appreciate you noticing the progress. Again thanks for the support and let me know if there are other ways I can seve you. Your Mayor
How are people supposed to approve a new tax increase with the unemployment rate at 10%? How can you expect people to approve a new tax increase when people can barely afford their bills as it is?? If City Hall is as bad as they say it is, why wasn’t this addressed before? Why pick the worst time in the economy to build a new police station and City Hall? I for one will be voting no to the tax increase. It doesn’t make economic sense to do it right now!
The current tax rate is between 7.35-8.35 depending on the area you shop in. What many would like to know is the history of the tax increases that make up our current tax rate and when those are supposed to expire. It seems that the rates always seem to go up, but never down. Also, our tax rates are as high as bigger cities like St. Louis and Kansas City.
Harrisonville is building new facilities for businesses/organizations that already exist in our township and creating blight (ie- empty buildings) by deserting the old ones with no plans for how they will be used in the future. Could our current facilties be fixed/expanded at a lesser expense to the citizens?
I don’t think anyone denies that new facilities would be nice, but I also understand J.T. and Nicolette’s concerns, especially with our current economy.
It would be nice if the City Council could address these concerns.