The proposed Sedgwick County property tax increase has been the big debate this week. The County Commission is scheduled to vote today on the increase, which is capped at 10.2 percent but is expected to be less than that. A commentary Tuesday by County Manager Bill Buchanan noted that many of the numbers being used by opponents of the increase are misleading or false. Today’s Opinion pages have a response by Alan Cobb of Americans for Property Kansas, three Reader Views letters against the increase, and a commentary by Jeff Turner, chairman of the Kansas Technical Training Initiative and president and CEO of Spirit AeroSystems, in support of the new aviation technology center — which, along with a jail expansion, is the primary reason for the proposed tax increase. Our editorial today expresses support for the tax increase, agreeing with the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce and others that the increase is a needed investment in the community.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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19 Comments
Perhaps Spirit should have accounted for this worker shortage before they sent all those DHL letters out last year. I’m not sympathetic at all.
I wonder how long Spirit actually stays here. Isn’t spirits parent company Canadian? Doesn’t Canada have nationalized health care? I’d get assurances from Spirit with penalties for noncompliance attached to any public funding of an aircraft company.
The county, city and school districts increase taxes every year. As valuations increase the taxes revenues increase if the mill levy remains the same, yet our elected officials only call it a tax increase if they increase the mill levy. What I would like them to do is budget based on the increase they have not pass additional burdens on to the taxpayers. It appears that our commissioners think they can tax us into prosperity. That is like standing in a bucket while trying to lift it. Our current commissioners seem to believe “build it and they will come” which indicates to me they have seen to many movies.
The evisceration of VoTech needs to be reversed. My problem with the Jabara center is that it will only serve people training for “approved” jobs. How about the rest of the population?
Ben those other jobs do not have the same money that the big aircraft industries have. It is funny how people beat up on KOCH Industries about fighting tax increases but it is ok when Boeing, Beech, Cessna, Lear Jet demand a tax increases. Where is the outcry about these companies? They ask for tax increases for schools, they ask for tax increases for their training programs, but when it comes to then they have so many tax exemptions for their business (because they tell the city and the county that if you don’t give them to us we will go away).
They do not care about this community. They are interested in their bottom line and to hell with the hard working taxpayer.
The economics of large employers is a complex issue. There payroll is not insignificant to this community. Furthermore, the dollars created by their industy are dollars coming from outside the community. Bottom line is that it is easy to throw stones, but much more difficult to offer solutions.
sts, you surprise me!Point well taken.
Wow-What a post history:J R 12:40 AMDoug 2:21 AMNoJoCo 5:07 AMNoJoCo 5:16 AMTRACY 6:01 AMwriterdog 7:05 AMDarrell Duncan 7:45 AMksfarmgrrl 7:56 AMksfarmgrrl 7:57 AMksfarmgrrl 8:00 AMTRACY 8:00 AMTRACY 8:05 AMDarrell Duncan 8:08 AMTRACY 8:08 AMTRACY 8:11 AMRightNut 8:14 AMksfarmgrrl 8:23 AMRupert Murdoch 8:24 AMRoo Haa 8:25 AMksfarmgrrl 8:26 AMksfarmgrrl 8:28 AMRupert Murdoch 8:28 AMDarrell Duncan 8:29 AMksfarmgrrl 8:29 AMRoo Haa 8:29 AMksfarmgrrl 8:32 AMkansassam 8:33 AMDarrell Duncan 8:39 AMNewshound 8:42 AMJ R 8:44 AMksfarmgrrl 8:44 AMksfarmgrrl 8:46 AM.morg 8:50 AMksfarmgrrl 8:51 AMksfarmgrrl 8:52 AMksfarmgrrl 8:56 AMkansassam 8:57 AMksfarmgrrl 8:58 AMkansassam 9:08 AMDarrell Duncan 9:12 AMJulie 9:16 AMTRACY 9:27 AMDarrell Duncan 9:33 AMksfarmgrrl 9:39 AMksfarmgrrl 9:40 AMJulie 9:45 AMDarrell Duncan 9:47 AMJulie 9:59 AMksfarmgrrl 10:02 AMksfarmgrrl 10:04 AMksfarmgrrl 10:05 AMDarrell Duncan 10:07 AMksfarmgrrl 10:19 AMksfarmgrrl 10:21 AMksfarmgrrl 10:24 AMTRACY 10:28 AMDennis 10:33 AMksfarmgrrl 10:51 AMNathan 10:57 AMksfarmgrrl 11:08 AMksfarmgrrl 11:11 AMNathan 11:12 AMNathan 11:17 AMTRACY 11:18 AMSteven Davis 11:19 AMCR 11:21 AMNathan 11:35 AMCR 11:37 AMNathan 11:39 AMNathan 11:43 AMCR 11:47 AMJulie 11:49 AMNathan 11:58 AMCR 11:59 AMJulie 12:03 PMCR 12:05 PMNathan 12:07 PMCR 12:12 PMNathan 12:17 PMTRACY 12:22 PMTRACY 12:25 PMJed 12:59 PMCR 1:01 PMJ R 1:06 PMRD 1:25 PMRD 1:28 PMCR 1:29 PMTony 1:34 PM
my bad that was the history for the Better agenda for Terry blog
my bad that was the history for the Better agenda for Terry blog
VELLY INTELESTINK
Truthiness, interesting stats nonetheless. Example of great information from a reader, but no value-add from the editors.
Back to tax increases…Once a government adds a headcount. It is on the payroll FOREVER. When is the last time you heard of a net cut in governmental jobs? Counting Fed, State, County and City, how many governmental jobs are in our state, county and city? Putting budget to the side for now, how effective are governmental programs, processes and people? Is the culture in governmental agencies a culture of giving the public the biggest bang for the buck and do it as efficiently as possible? OR, is the culture one of kingdom-building, job guarantees and entitlements? I would submit the latter, folks.
According to the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at WSU, estimated governmental employment in the Wichita MSA grew by 3.4% in 2005. The largest growth category next to Professional and Business Services at 3.6%. This is why the folks who don’t want a tax increase are expressing their freedom-of-speech rights against increases.
Now, if part of the tax increase was earmarked to turn the kingdom-building/job guarantee culture around and hire a team of Industrial Engineers to identify and publish areas of wasteful spending, then I might accept a temporary increase on the bet that it would result in a more efficient and effective governmental agency.
Mr.C ‚Äì that’s because you keep trying to label me.
This is to go along with where Ben was trying to go…
What ever happened to the idea of WATC (Wichita Area Technical Collage) <– See that part that says technical?
Why cant ANY money be put into that school? WATC already has the facilities, they already have an Airport campus, they already have the infrastructure, what is it that Jabara has that the WATC doesn’t?
The aircraft companies already hire most of the graduates from the CNC and welding classes at WATC, why not just add to the existing classes?
Tony! They departed from the public school system and went independent. With that went practially half its budget.
I’m not totally for sure what the true reason was and who spearheaded it, but from what I know, the person that was the head of WATC at the time didn’t want to answer to USD 259. She wanted to be the top dog, so she cause them to split for power hungry purposes.
Not only was the aviation campus effected, but the electronic technician as well. They decided to focus more on Medical employment needs than the skill trades.
Oh! Before you want to know about the aviation campus. It’s been sold to a private business who is doing some light FBO work.
I actually went and graduated from WATC in their aircraft instrument program.
Joe – check again. The state mandated the seperation of WATC from 259. The County should have stepped in at that time – they failed. Problem is that the WATC service area is ALL of Sedgwick County; not just the 259 area.
It was due to the evisceration that the existing facilities were lost. Now we are trying to play catchup. And, in so doing, companies seeking trained employees who are NOT aircraft get ignored.
Well Ben! Somebody forced the issue to seperate USD 259 and WATC. Somebody thought it was a good idea. What are the reasons to seperate the school districts from their VoTecs?
You’re governor signed it. USD 259 didn’t want to seperate WATC and everybody at WATC, with the exception of the Board, the Board of Regents and the BOE, wanted to change.
Something happened, and somebody lobbyied for it. And if I look at Senate Bill 7, I bet I’ll find all the Democrats voted for it.
Lets see, do our taxes need raised? Of course. How else can the city of Wichita bail out all of our failing attractions and businesses? Century II, Cowtown, Ice Arena, The Hilton, The Indian Center, Exploration Place, the Wranglers leave town, and now they want to renovate LD? They bring in a looser (Gander Mountain), for the water walk, Oh, yeah, just what we need in Wichita, a Water Walk. On a river that barely flows, and has trash flowing constantly and contaminated. Now lets build an Arena. Who do you suppose will bail it out when it goes under? Your commisioners? Think Again. Your commisioners wouldn’t even put a Casino to a vote. But they’ll raise your taxes….
The taxpayers should have the opportunity to vote on the new $40 million dollar training center and the jail expansion. The Eagle reported an 8.8% tax increase. They failed to add the approx. 6% increase in property tax appraisals making the total just under 15%. This is an outrageous increase! Perhaps the voters will vote Commissioner Sciortino and Commissioner Unruh out of office in November. Maybe a recall vote for Commissioners Norton and Winters would be appropriate. While we are at it, why not remove County Manager Bill Buchanan.