KCRag Forum

Tax tires.

TDD the whole city!

Raise taxes on beer consumption. Revenue problem solved.

Steve52 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 7:30 pm Raise taxes on beer consumption. Revenue problem solved.

Boo

mykn wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 8:05 pm

Steve52 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 7:30 pm Raise taxes on beer consumption. Revenue problem solved.

Boo

They taxed the cigarettes but I didn't speak up because I didn't smoke....yada yada yada...no one left to speak up for me.

I would pay that damn tax!

Drastically raise the fee on utilities when they work on a road, place a metal plate.

Wouldn’t having more people using transit instead of cars, overtime lower the cost on maintaining infrastructure anyways

If they raised the gas tax along with it, we could probably really help the infrastructure and get more people to use public transit

The resolution passed is about finding money within existing resources, not creating new resources. The city can't simply establish a new tax anyway- it would have to be voted on.

The other thing I find odd about everyone celebrating the resolution is that nothing has been done yet. It tells the Manager to propose how they would fund free fare service in the next budget (which i totally support, btw). The problem is, the council may not like what he proposes and may not actually do this. If that happens, all this press about KC being the first fare-free city will look completely silly.

Its like how we keep passing "green" resolutions for the city, but then later approve massive single family housing developments in the Northland supported by pseudo-local-highways. Or pass an area plan that has tons of great direction for dense urban development with multi-modal transportation options, but then allow (force? in some cases) car-oriented developments when the development actually occurs.

Resolutions mean very little. I'd be more interested in what this next budget looks like before I start celebrating.

I think there will be fights about where the 8 mil comes from, but not to the point of not eliminating the fares.

All the publicity puts pressure on the council to not backtrack.

kboish wrote: ↑Sat Dec 07, 2019 9:05 am The resolution passed is about finding money within existing resources, not creating new resources. The city can't simply establish a new tax anyway- it would have to be voted on.

Actually, there is another 1/8-cent sales tax authorization for public transportation that hasn't been put before voters. In 2003 (later renewed in 2008), only 3/8-cent of the 1/2-cent authorization was put before voters.

This is in addition to the 1/2-cent sales tax that was authorized by the state in the 70s (which recently had its sunset removed -- so it's a 'forever' tax, unless the state revokes it).

grovester wrote: ↑Sat Dec 07, 2019 9:40 pm I think there will be fights about where the 8 mil comes from, but not to the point of not eliminating the fares.

All the publicity puts pressure on the council to not backtrack.

Maybe. But that’s just it, it’s still only a maybe at this point.

Personally, I don’t know how they pull it off this year. I can see a plan to get there, but a one year jump? That’s tough. Which is not the current narrative/expectation

DaveKCMO wrote: ↑Sat Dec 07, 2019 10:11 pm Actually, there is another 1/8-cent sales tax authorization for public transportation that hasn't been put before voters. In 2003 (later renewed in 2008), only 3/8-cent of the 1/2-cent authorization was put before voters.

This is in addition to the 1/2-cent sales tax that was authorized by the state in the 70s (which recently had its sunset removed -- so it's a 'forever' tax, unless the state revokes it).

I get that there is more tax space for transit. But that’s my point, the public would have to vote on this. This resolution isn’t calling for a vote. It’s asking for the Manager to find the funding in the budget. If they don’t like his proposal then maybe they will call for a vote. But again, who knows? And then that vote would still be a year or more away.

Which gets to my point, they haven’t done anything yet, but I keep reading that KC is the first date-free city. All I’m saying is- no, not yet. Resolutions are nice, but they are easy to vote for. It’s good that the conversation is happening and progressing, but no one has done the hard part yet by filling in the details.

I guess my real issue is the media narrative that we have achieved/approved fare-free transit. Which is more an issue with how the media portrays things rather than me having an issue with people being excited for fare free transit. I’m excited for that to! I just wanna make sure it really happens

You can check how the City Manager and Public Works diverts money from the existing Public Mass Transportation Fund:

https://budget.kcmo.gov/#!/year/2020/op ... s=barChart

Are you saying they are not using the tax as it is intended? Do you think all of that tax is required to go the ATA?

kboish wrote: ↑Sun Dec 08, 2019 1:16 pm Are you saying they are not using the tax as it is intended? Do you think all of that tax is required to go the ATA?

It's arguable. For example, the $3.7 million for resurfacing is not coordinated with KCATA routes. Same for the spend on traffic signals and the two salaries.

Lawrence! https://www2.ljworld.com/news/city-gove ... ing-fares/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kansas-cit ... bus-fares/

Missouri's biggest city earlier this month approved a plan to eliminate bus fares in 2020, making it the first major U.S. metropolis to offer free public transportation. Kansas City's streetcar is already free.
...
One aspiring leader in a city viewed as politically progressive also took note. Sarah Iannarone, a mayoral candidate in Portland, Oregon, tweeted that her city got "lapped by Kansas City."

When would earliest start be?