Edwardsville will ask voters for two sales taxes

Archive for Wednesday, June 27, 2012

June 27, 2012

While the city of Bonner Springs will ask voters to continue two current special sales taxes, the city of Edwardsville approved asking voters to implement two special sales taxes.

The Edwardsville City Council Monday approved placing two quarter-cent special sales taxes on the November ballot, hoping to raise funds for public safety equipment and for parks and recreation-related improvements.

If approved, collection of the taxes would begin on April 1, 2013, and would last 10 years. City staff projected that each quarter-cent sales tax could bring in about $90,000 annually.

The council first discussed the possibility of the taxes at its May 28 and June 11 meetings. The council asked city staff to identify potential uses for each tax, so the voters could see how, specifically, the funds might benefit the city.

For the first 30 months of the public safety sales tax (through December 2015), staff presented the following suggestions:

• Handheld radios and pagers for fire and police to ensure compliance with the county’s dispatch system

• Rehabilitation of the fire station

• Additional safety equipment, specifically extrication tools

• Replacement of outdated in-car video systems

• Rehabilitation of the police book-in area

• Replacement of a light-response vehicle

Staff also suggested further discussion about using funds to implement an ambulance system, depending on other budgetary needs.

For parks and recreation, the following was suggested:

• Concession stand upgrades, including ensuring ADA accessible bathrooms

•Rehabilitate and expand walking trails

• Rehabilitate baseball fields

Edwardsville’s current sales tax rate is 8.3 percent, compared to 9.05 in Bonner Springs and 8.925 in Kansas City, Kan.

The vote to place the taxes on the ballot was 4-1, with Councilmember John Eickhoff voting in opposition.

The council also has previously discussed the use of the city’s portion of revenues from the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway. Council members came to a general consensus that the revenues should be used to support infrastructure, primarily streets. Mike Webb, city administrator told the council he is working on development of a street plan costing between $25,000 and $40,000.