Wichita sales tax likely to be proposed

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Two recent events have led me to suspect that as part of the plan for the revitalization of downtown Wichita, we’re going to see a sales tax proposed.

The first is Phillip Brownlee’s editorial in last Friday’s Wichita Eagle, which carried the title Taxes are lower than many think. While this editorial focused on property taxes, it’s easy to see this as an argument that Wichitans can bear the burden of more taxation. Softening up the electorate, so to speak.

Then, there’s this email sent to the Wichita city council and Sedgwick county commission members:

I recently received the attached information on Oklahoma City’s next plan for their downtown area. This is their MAPS program that spurred their downtown developed. I thought you might find this of interest.

http://www.okc.gov/maps3/

Sincerely,

John Rolfe
President and CEO
Go Wichita Convention & Visitors Bureau

MAPS — that’s the program that funded Oklahoma City’s downtown improvements through a sales tax, with a second version funding school projects — will be voted on in December. If approved, a 1% sales tax will raise funds for more downtown projects. This email, without saying so directly, endorses the idea of a sales tax for downtown development.

What’s the sales tax in Oklahoma City, you may be wondering? It’s 8.375%. It won’t change if the new MAPS plan is approved by the voters, as a current 1% tax will expire.

That sales tax was billed as “temporary,” and it does appear that it will expire as planned. But, city leaders are recommending approval of the new sales tax. This is similar to the sales tax for the downtown Wichita arena, when as that tax was nearing its end, Sedgwick County Commissioner Tim Norton “wondered … whether a 1 percent sales tax could help the county raise revenue.” (“Norton floats idea of 1 percent county sales tax,” Wichita Eagle, April 4, 2007)

The sales tax for Wichita is 6.3%.

City leaders are likely to use the the Intrust Bank Arena in downtown Wichita as an example of a successful project funded through a sales tax. But any assessment of the success of this project is about two years away. The fact that the arena exists is evidence of a minimum level of competence. It will be some time before we know whether the arena can support itself without being a drain on taxpayers, despite the provisions of the SMG management contract.

In Wichita, we’re going to have to be watchful. The drumbeats of new taxation have started.

Comments

4 responses to “Wichita sales tax likely to be proposed”

  1. CarlosMayans

    In 2007, I cautioned the citizens of Wichita that elections have consequences. I said that the results of the elections were going to bring about tax increases and higher unemployment. More consultants and more studies. More taxpayer’s dollars and trips for friends. The City is broke!

    The City of Wichita is the biggest advertiser in our local newspaper who is no longer in the business of investigating reporting. Expect the newspaper to continue to apologize and positively explain the behavior and actions of our City elected officials.

  2. Wichitator

    This is likely to be as successful in the future as the subsidized development has been in the past. This means more downtown stagnation. How sad.

    It is at the outskirts of Wichita where the development has occurred. This is where the city generally ignores development unlike downtown. There is a lesson here.

  3. […] planning process that holds the promise of more centralized planning, more government spending, and tax increases, Wichitans need to be aware of […]

  4. […] writes, and Wichita downtown planners have indicated their desire for these. Downtown boosters are likely to propose a sales tax to support these […]

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