No More Taxes
Excerpt from public comments made at January 30, 2007 Topeka City Council Meeting
I support the Mayor’s initiatives to improve the appearance and safety of our community. But these problems are too complex to be solved by just throwing $4.0 million at them each year. Addressing these problems, however, will require some additional resources.
But I cannot support this sales tax increase to fund the initiatives proposed by the Mayor. Sufficient funds have been already been collected from this community, they just need to be reallocated.
The Shawnee County taxpayers currently pay a .65% sales tax, collected on behalf of Washburn University. The University’s annual operating revenues increased over $5 million when their funding source was changed from property taxes to sales tax revenues.
While the streets and intersections around Washburn continue to crumble, and neighborhoods NE of the campus are torn down because of their blighted conditions, Washburn University has money to build a $100,000 water feature, to fund $2.5 million of the new art building after their fundraising efforts failed and then take on a $2.0 million renovation project for their Endowment Association. In addition to these projects, Washburn administrators have also been able to accumulate $10.0 million for the Stoffer Hall renovation.
Rather than asking the taxpayers for more money, perhaps we need to determine if some of our sales tax receipts should be reallocated. It doesn’t seem right that Washburn University, with access to over $100 million in endowed funds and a property tax levy, should be a thriving oasis supported with excessive sales tax dollars while our city crumbles around it due to a lack of adequate funding.
This council and the city manager should seriously address the issues that the Mayor has put before us, but not with an increase in a regressive sales tax.