Funding change clarified on JC sales tax proposal

Potential switch would continue to use capital improvement funds

Sunday, March 25, 2012

As the Jefferson City Council considers placing a new sales tax proposal from the Fire Department on the August ballot, some residents have expressed confusion about the amount of funds the department would receive from the existing half-cent capital improvements sales tax.

When the Fire Department first presented its improvement plan, which includes a switch from property taxes to a dedicated sales tax, the plan proposed a three-eighth-cent sales tax. With that, the department indicated it would no longer receive funding from the city’s half-cent capital improvements sales tax.

But since the initial presentation, the plan has changed. The department now proposes a one-fourth-cent sales tax, along with a reduction in the amount of funding from the half-cent capital improvements sales tax.

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JCLifer 1 year, 2 months ago

No confusion here. It will result in higher taxes going to the city, so this, deceptive initiative gets my NO VOTE.

JCsleeper 1 year, 2 months ago

Higher sales taxes are eventually going to hurt local businesses as customers begin to shop elsewhere.

rodinman 1 year, 2 months ago

My understanding of the article is if the tax is passed it will result in 1) a 1/4 cent sales tax for the fire department, 2) a switch on percentages between what the PD and FD currently receive, and 3) no reduction of property taxes. I don't see where a 17 percent reduction to city property tax would result. Yes, the FD would get less, 40% vice 60%, but the PD would get more, 60% vice 40%; hence no reduction in property taxes. The 17 percent reduction is bull hockey! I believe the tax proponents want the 17 percent reduction mentioned, even when it is wrong, so hopefully the citizens will think they are getting a tax reduction rather than a tax increase. I plan to vote NO to this tax increase.

LuvJC 1 year, 2 months ago

rodinman, it's a property tax reduction!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 17% of your property tax and personnel property will be reduced by a total of 17%..

rodinman 1 year, 2 months ago

LuvJC, if there is a reduction, it is only on the JC city tax portion of the tax bills -- not on the entire tax bills.

hudson 1 year, 2 months ago

JUST SAY NO !

LuvJC 1 year, 2 months ago

hudson must live in the county. City folks have been paying to pave the county roads for years and we don't drive on them. Thats a tax that needs to be canned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JCLifer 1 year, 2 months ago

Since I don't see any problems with the Fire Department, I am voting NO for this tax increase. I would however, vote for an increase to repair the roads and infrastructure, because I see crumbling and very rough roads all over this town. We need sidewalks too.

Before they run another tax increase on the ballot, the local entities need to get together and perform a realistic needs analysis and come up with a taxation plan for the next 5-10 years. They need to let the taxpayers know what tax increases are needed and when we can expect to see them on the ballot.

Perhaps with a realistic strategic plan for taxation, we can better anticipate what taxes will realistically be needed, and better support for them will result.

LuvJC 1 year, 2 months ago

JCLifer, I just figured it out, YOUR AGAINST EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who wouldn't want to pay less property tax?????????????? JClifer!!!!!!! I've went to City Hall and I've got the facts, was even at the meetings and I'm sold on it. Bet JCLifer wasn't there?????????

JCLifer 1 year, 2 months ago

I'm glad you have your "facts". I have my "facts" too, and I also have my vote. Luckily my vote counts just as much as yours. Isn't democracy wonderful, especially when the will of the people vote and work to keep their government honest and in check?

As for me being against everything-- maybe you shouldn't take the Transformation fiasco so personal. I'm sure your side will win a vote one of these days. Even a blind pig finds an acorn now and then.

LuvJC 1 year, 2 months ago

I voted No to Transformation.....hahahahaha

sickandtired 1 year, 2 months ago

LuvJC I am curious what tax that deals with the county are you referring to especially since you say you do not drive on any of the roads in the county. Well by living inside the city limits of Jefferson City you are driving on a county/city road. Jefferson City is in the county of Cole.

LuvJC 1 year, 2 months ago

DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!! and the City Sales tax pays for that. The County 1/2 pays to pave all the county roads.

JCsleeper 1 year, 2 months ago

Some are weary of JC asking for a sales tax vote every election. Less property tax? Live in JC and buy a new car,or shop in JC and buy a big ticket item, bet it would make a difference. This is going to be quite a gain due to shoppers from outside JC paying sales tax.

LuvJC 1 year, 2 months ago

Go Shop in Columbia, Still higher Tax in the shopping TDD'syF

JCLifer 1 year, 2 months ago

Shop Amazon.com. No taxes at all, lower prices, bigger selection.

JCLifer 1 year, 2 months ago

TRANSFORMATION would have fixed all this for free!!!

jousley 1 year, 2 months ago

LOL..... the truth sometimes needs to be dug up....dig deeper because we haven't seen it yet.

wow 1 year, 2 months ago

No more of my money until I see some progress with what I'm already having robbed from me. Until I see that people have well lit sidewalks to travel throughout this city and county areas....NO NEW TAXES. Until I see some serious road improvements...NO NEW TAXES. Use the money that YA ALREADY HAVE AND DO SOMETHING RIGHT WITH IT. I fail to see how the County or the City leaders can be asking for more money when they have and still are (*&^$%#^$$#!@%$%&^%# away the money they already have to work with.

JCLifer 1 year, 2 months ago

Speaking of well lit, I counted eleven (11) street lights out between Clark Avenue and the Tri-level along the Expressway last night.

LuvJC 1 year, 2 months ago

For being a lifer you should know, THAT'S THE STATE HIGHWAY no the City!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LuvJC 1 year, 2 months ago

not the City!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my bad

JCLifer 1 year, 2 months ago

Yes, the MO-DOT maintains the US and state highways that go through Jefferson City. Not sure what your point is here.

BTW: You might want to tone down the personal attacks and obvious low self esteem generated rhetoric. This is a public comment forum, not a measure of personal worth.

wow 1 year, 2 months ago

I saw a person in a wheel chair traveling along stadium near the JCMG....the part where there IS NO SIDE WALK. Mo. Blvd has the same problem....side walks are needed on both sides of the road in those two and many other areas. Go out west, north, south or east of the city and you'll see the same thing. In cases where sidewalks are available, they don't connect to anything...which means a person cannot travel safely on them from point A to point B. At night these areas are BLACK DARK....ala no street lights.

Council People here's an idea. Get out of your office and take a trip around Cole County and JC. Use that video camera you use to record your unproductive meetings for something worthwhile. As you're traveling the area...record the shortfalls that have been described. take that footage back and show the entire council the proof that the common person uses to decide just how unproductive you elected officials have been. After you've all had a chance to show why you all deserve to be fired and or take a very drastic pay cut. After you see how you've wasted tax dollars on survey after survey. Start designing a plan that connnects sidewalks throughout the city and county. Impliment a rule that states all Contractors are required to include sidewalks in their building plans. These sidewalks must be maintained by them or the property owner and connect to the existing city or county sidewalks. Also the propper lighting must be provided as well. Start getting some up to date building codes and pet codes...don't go crazy...just make common sense. You that now and you amy still get voted out of office, but at least you'll be able to say ya did something worthwhile before you got booted.

JCLifer 1 year, 2 months ago

Take some pictures of your beautiful blue trash containers. Go down Ventura and its side streets and see your beautiful blue dumpsters in front of the apartments overflowing with trash all over the roadway. Drive around the Old Town area and see all the beautiful blue dumpsters that stay out in the street or on the sidewalk all week- not just on trash day.

While you are out, tape some footage of the beautiful boarded up houses scattered all over town. Maybe some of the tall weeds, brush, and trash piled up in the front lawsn. Or maybe the front lawns that have no grass at all. Some front lawns just function as feces-laden dog kennels where dogs are chained or fenced 24/7 to live in the mud and their own feces. How about some pictures of the abandon cars parked in the street. Some have flat tires and haven't been moved for years.

You could take video of the crumbling streets, the utility cuts that were repaird by totally unskilled uncaring labor. How about the curbs that are crumbling and big chunks of curbing concrete are laying in the roadway?

Be sure to go out at night and see the downtown wheel chair guys going down the middle of the street because the sidewalds do not have ramps at the intersections where they can get their wheel chairs onto the sidewalks. They might be very hard to see rolling down the middle of the street as many of the street lights in this town are burned out.

Oh the sights you could see if you just drive around and keep your eyes open.

spelchek 1 year, 2 months ago

I'm concerned that this sales tax might disenfranchise poor people already not paying taxes. JC obviously doesn't like poor people. Where's Jesse? Where's Biden? Where's NPR? This injustice must not take place!!!!

dokeus6 1 year, 2 months ago

Lifer, why would the city council want to drive around the streets that 99 percent of the people in this city use every day. They live in the affluent neighborhoods where they have sidewalks and street lamps because the city services wouldn't ever let a street lamp go out on their streets.

I read in above post about passing a tax to fix the streets and adding sidewalks so the people can use them. That is one tax I personally would vote for.

A note to the city council about wanting to pass more taxes to pay for more services. Why would you even suggest another tax when the citizens that you represent voted the last tax increase down. We can't afford a tax increase due to the high gasoline prices, high food prices, high prices on everything.

I guess the rich policy makers are tired of seeing the other classes afford vacations and trying to put their kids through college.

I thought the caste system died during the middle ages. Oh how wrong was I.

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