Its now official. The sales tax questions will be on the ballot in the November election.
One will be a half cent for the hospital and one will be a half cent for street repairs.
Ill have the story in the paper tomorrow.
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58 comments:
Oh well, nobody buys in town anyway.
LOL now that is funny...I don't care who you are!
You know I have a hard time with the politics in our town. People voted for a 38 million dollor school bond. Which I am sure that we are such a large town that we need a Football Field larger and grander then Wichita. But we will throw a fit on a half cent sales tax that everybody will pay (Renters, people driving though,Ext.)I would like people to stop and think how many of then helped build the new colliseum in Wichita. Sales Tax makes sence
Don't recall just how close the school bond issue was in the vote. Seems like the safety of the schools was lumped with the stadium, teachers getting laptops, etc., so to get 1 you had to vote for all, unfair in my opinion. Maybe the hospital should have jumped in before the school bond and it would've been received better?
I agree with those who say if WE the taxpayers are paying the BUILD a hospital, the money should go to BUILD, not keep it afloat. Yeah, yeah, naysayer, blah, blah. But I get an opinion too.
I'm definitely for the street repairs, but wonder why the city didn't already have funds for that. Surely it is in every budget.
I agree with those who say if WE the taxpayers are paying the BUILD a hospital, the money should go to BUILD, not keep it afloat. Yeah, yeah, naysayer, blah, blah. But I get an opinion too.
>>>>
I think you have a point there.
>>>
I'm definitely for the street repairs, but wonder why the city didn't already have funds for that. Surely it is in every budget.
>>>>
They spend several hundred thousand a year now as it is... this is more for major projects
Yea, Make those renegades in Parkefield pay their share with a sales tax.
OK, but why are so many streets in such dire need of repair if several hundred thousand is available every year? Certainly not holding you accountable for the answer, just wondering.
That one i dont know.
THey say they use it on streets.
I dunno.
Be a good one to ask at one of their meetings.
"On the hospital issue, hospital finance officer Pam Jackson presented a presentation on the financial condition of the hospital. She related that the hospital board believes they will make more money with a new hospital.
Like the city, hospital administration anticipates receiving between $750,000 and $800,000 per year from the sales tax.
The payment each year on the new facility is projected to be $1.85 million. The hospital is making a profit and will be able to make most of the payment, she said.
She added that the hospital could build a $20 million facility without a sales tax, but would have to cut some services.
The planned facility will cost around $27 million and will allow the hospital to have even more services. Hospital administrators hope the center will become a regional medical facility that people from around the area will use."
Question 1) If they spend an add'l $7 million they can provide more services....what if they waited until they had the add'l funds to build these extra services instead of us paying for it? At my house there's thousands of dollars worth of projects I'd like to do but I have to wait until I have the funds. Why can they not wait on this.
2) Notice they said they "HOPE" to become a regional hospital. There is no guarantee.
I just think they are asking for more than they really need.
I believe the school bond vote was unfair anyway, because people who did not own property were allowed to vote on the issue. Even college kids who were in another state were sent ballots. Those of us who DO own homes, and will see our ALREADY VASTLY INFLATED property taxes go u, should have been the ones to decide.
If college kids asked for a ballot and their official residence is here they can vote. That is not unfair but the American way. If they attend college out of state, they pay out of state tuition to keep calling Ark City home.
I suppose no one should vote that is not a property owner. I rent but pay higher rent to cover the taxes so think I should have a voice.
I love the sales tax idea because everyone gets to pay and not just the homeowner or renters. I don't think sales taxes can be used for school buildings in Kansas.
If college kids asked for a ballot and their official residence is here they can vote. That is not unfair but the American way. If they attend college out of state, they pay out of state tuition to keep calling Ark City home.
I suppose no one should vote that is not a property owner. I rent but pay higher rent to cover the taxes so think I should have a voice.
I love the sales tax idea because everyone gets to pay and not just the homeowner or renters. I don't think sales taxes can be used for school buildings in Kansas.
I'm confused, again. This will be a city owned and financially supported hospital which the supporters hope will become a regional draw?
Sometimes the commission and others in the know say that it is good for Ark City because it will bring in other businesses around the hospital. They are banking on those tax dollars, as the land is already annexed.
Yet, when we try to pitch our views on putting the hospital in town to support local businesses we already have, they claim a hospital will not be a draw for them.
I do not like the idea that votes were cohersed from Nurseing home residents, i witnessed this in every nurseing home in arkansas city.
The city has no money for streets because JJ says that we need bike paths and we are always going to need money for streets, and JJ says pay the piper later lets have a concert now we are always going to need water main repairs use that money.
This is the kind of attitude that causes your streets and alleys and so on to lose funding, these budgets are desolved for other greater needs, such as raises, Management in this city is paid higher wages than any surounding city, however our workers are paid 10 to 20% less
Am i a tax and spend liberal now?
:)
Yet, when we try to pitch our views on putting the hospital in town to support local businesses we already have, they claim a hospital will not be a draw for them.
Go to the meetings.
There seems to be a problem with putting it in town.
see if they make a good enough case?
Most of the people I know didn't vote for it.....so they had to have rallied the old folks and the college kids and those who can't read or write to vote for it. Most of the honest tax paying property owning people I know voted no!
The world is a big place and just because your friends voted no does not mean that those across the street or around the corner or at the grocery did. Voting yes does not mean they are stupid but they voted. I have a family member at the nursing home and no one asked her or talked to her about voting.
College kids may have supported it but they may know the realities of what we need better than those that have not put a foot in a public school for the past twenty years. If the college kids voted then GREAT they are voting and that is more than can be said for the majority of this community.
I was not in favor of the bond issue because it was a thin disguise for a new football stadium. I have yet to see any educational projects really started but we have new tennis courts on the way. I am anxious to see if the projects for the schools really come to fruition.
(sung to the tune of Big Bad John)
Every mornning at the paper, you could see him arrive.
He stood 5 foot something, and gave off a liberal vibe.
Kind of bald on the head, with a mustache.
Somewhat irritating like a bad rash, Blogger James.
Blogger James
Big Bad Blogger James
Blogger James
Nobody seems to know what brought James into this mess
He just showed up one day behind the editor's desk.
He spent most mornings trying to get the paper published
And no time to spare in getting it accomplished for Blogger James
By the afternoon the paper had been "put to bed",
and off to the internet he would head..
Many rumors, very few facts, and a hint of innuendo
secret meetings, music fest, ACI, and the three amigos
Blogger James
Big Bad Blogger James
Blogger James
Then came the day at the city commision meeting,
when it looked as if down town buisiness would take a beating.
Long time neighbors became deadly foes
Everybody had an opinion about the new Lowes
Even Blogger James.
The lawyers threw up a curtian of smoke and mirrors,
each side trying to play to the citizen's fears..
With no sign of fear or an iota of fact.
he jumped to his computer and started to act, Blogger James
Blogger James
Big Bad Blogger James
Blogger James
And with all of his strength, he pounded the keyboard.
all the hoopla and hype must have struck a cord
Half the town was against the Lowes, and they right.
The other half was wrong but wouldn't give up the fight, them and Blogger James.
A special meeting was called to get the opinion of the town,
angry town folk gathered from all around..
And as smoke and hot air belched out of that meeting
everybody knew that the Lowes was fleeting, even Blogger James..
Blogger James
Big Bad Blogger James
Blogger James
Now they never did get that damned Lowes,
but traffic to the blog still flows.
Making money from every mouse click,
Stirring up conterversey, to bring in more people now that is slick, Blogger James
Blogger James
Nice song.
Obviously still high from all the smoke the downtown merchants (who never had any information) blew up your *$$
Keep it rolling. Hide the facts. That show is over but you can still kill any other kind of progress!
Obviously still high from all the smoke the downtown merchants (who never had any information) blew up your *$$
ROFL. I was gonna write a retort to that horribly rhymed ditty, but You nailed it outta the park!!! Bravo!
did i just read that someone really thought that the river fest. was tax supported?talk about not getting facts straight!!!!!!!!!
You will see the improvements to the schools. When a bond or a sales tax issues is passed by the tax payers that money can ONLY be used for what it was voted on to use it for..NOTHING else. However there is not much of a point to trying to get that thru the heads of the people in this town. They always think there is a conspiracy. Anyway it was interesting to watch Ms. Jackson on the telecast of the city commission meeting and the charts and figures the hospital has come up with. If it was discussed how they came to the decision to build north of town I missed that part.
I do wish people in town would actually listen and read the facts of instead of coffee shop talk and gossip. If they did I think we would have a lot more people voting either for or against an issue based on FACTS rather than gossip.
Hello all you waaaahhh waaaaaahhh's
We don't need a hospital in town, we need EMS in town. Minutes for response are the key not miles to the hospital.
Sales tax is fair, and there are already specialists that have agreed to come.
The extra 7 million is for services that will be needed immediatley, not pie in the sky.
And James I love your new tune...Big Bad James...ROFLMAO!
Gene Burr supports the new hospital
who the hell is gene burr? And why would I care?
STOP IT WITH THEM NEGATIVE VIBES!
PLEASE CLICK HERE_____ FOR AN AUTOMATIC COMPLAINT LETTER
OH AND FOR BLOG SAKE....HNB,ACI,USB,JAN SALISBURY,GENE BURR & LET'S THROW IN PAMELA ANDERSON
Half of me was reluctant to write this letter out of concern that the Traveler Newspaper may be one of those organizations who do piteous things for the sole purpose of gaining attention. But given the Traveler Newspaper's track record, I have concluded that it disguises its iron fist with a velvet glove, so I've decided to proceed. But before I continue, allow me to explain that I realize that some people may have trouble reading this letter. Granted, not everyone knows what "individualistic" means, but it's nevertheless easy to understand that the Traveler Newspaper is thoroughly hideous, as it has proved to my complete satisfaction. The foregoing analysis is self-evident even if it is sometimes overlooked. Less evident are the specific ways in which we should upbraid the Traveler Newspaper for being so peevish. The Traveler Newspaper swears that coercion in the name of liberty is a valid use of state power. Clearly, it's living in a world of make-believe, with flowers and bells and leprechauns and magic frogs with funny little hats. Back in the real world, the Traveler Newspaper dreams of a time when they'll be free to dupe people into believing that it has mystical powers of divination and prophecy. That's the way it's planned it and that's the way it'll happen -- not may happen but will happen -- if we don't interfere, if we don't evaluate the tactics it has used against me.
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The Traveler Newspaper expresses only the noblest intentions, singing praises to the value of community even as it enacts policies that twist the teaching of history to suit its supercilious purposes. Hence and therefore, whenever the Traveler Newspaper announces that it commands an army of robots that live in the hollow center of the earth and produce earthquakes whenever they feel like shaking things up a bit on the surface, its lapdogs applaud on cue and the accolades are long and ostentatious. What's funny is that they don't provide similar feedback whenever I tell them that the Traveler Newspaper insists that it is clean and bright and pure inside. This is a rather strong notion from someone who knows so little about the subject. If you're not part of the solution then you're part of the problem.
The Traveler Newspaper's personal interest in seeing its tracts shoved down people's throats is despicable but that's to be expected of it. I hereby publicly condemn the Traveler Newspaper's lascivious, self-serving arguments. In doing so, I publicly proclaim that it's like the man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz. Pull back the curtain of careerism and you'll see a hotheaded barmpot hiding behind it, furiously pulling the levers of interventionism in a deranged attempt to support those for whom hatred has become a way of life. That sort of discovery should make any sane person realize that not only does the Traveler Newspaper prevent me from sleeping soundly at night, but it then commands its bootlickers, "Go, and do thou likewise."
Here's some news for people who are surprised by sunrise: The Traveler Newspaper doesn't give a damn about any of us. Contrast, for example, the Traveler Newspaper's canards with those of the most disorderly grifters I've ever seen, and observe that there is no contrast. I, by (genuine) contrast, take the view that I want to enable patriots to use their freedoms to save their freedoms. I want to do this not because I need to tack another line onto my résumé but because the Traveler Newspaper would have us believe that the only way to expand one's mind is with drugs -- or maybe even chocolate. Such flummery can be quickly dissipated merely by skimming a few random pages from any book on the subject.
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Did someone forget to take their Schizophrenia medicine today?
now we know where all the LSD went too
The song was toooo funny.
It is interesting that there is a full moon this week.
yakity, yak, yak. nobody's going to read all that gobbilty goo.
I made it to paragraph 3, and that was pushing it!
"Ms. Jane, I don't undestand a word you just said!"
-Jethro Bodine
"Ms. Jane, I don't undestand a word you just said!"
-Jethro Bodine
"Gonna have to have a long talk with that boy."
- Jedd Clampett
Since the Lowe's fiasco has been brought up again, this time from some James Taylor wannabe in a song, I thought I'd share this interesting fact:
Today, I had the oportunity to speak with a businessman from Ponca, who owns and operates a business with dozens of employees. He said that Kay County has raised it's sales tax 3/4 of a cent to pay for the new jail. BUT, he said, he was sure that many of us Ark City folk would be helping to foot that bill after our City council, in all it's widom, shot down the Lowes store, which would have kept us from having to do business there in Ponca. They (Ponca City) were thrilled by our commissions actions... which should say something about how good it was (WASN'T!) for our city. He also said that the Lowe's store there was a HUGE sales tax provider. Would have been nice to have a huge sales tax provider that brings in people from surrounding communities to help pay off our sales tax debts.
Way to go Amigos!
Would have been nice to have a huge sales tax provider that brings in people from surrounding communities to help pay off our sales tax debts.
>>>>
Lowes developer would have gotten a round about tax break through the TIF,
but
ALL of the sales tax would have gone to the city.
Would have been nice to have a huge sales tax provider that brings in people from surrounding communities to help pay off our sales tax debts.
>>>>
Lowes developer would have gotten a round about tax break through the TIF,
but
ALL of the sales tax would have gone to the city.
All of the sales tax collected at Lowe's and Applebees and the rest of that shopping center would have gone to pay the TIF. The property taxes for everything besides the Lowe's and Applebees would have gone to the city. Once the TIF was paid it would ALL have gone to the city. Not to mention the other business people that came to Ark City would have done.
Water under the bridge. I'm glad Ponca City appreciates this commission. Years of ACI and the commission making this arrangement to be shot down by 3 people who were new on the scene and didn't have a clue.
We still have a future. I think everyone has learned their lesson.
( i hope )...
Anonymous said...
All of the sales tax collected at Lowe's and Applebees and the rest of that shopping center would have gone to pay.....
Well lets grab the shovels and dig up the skeletal remains, so we can beat this dead horse some more.....
Winfield rejected the Lowes idea, so it is safe to say they are as "stupid" as AC? Or maybe Winfield also saw something they didn't like in the proposal?
Lowes was to be the savior of AC? Nah don't think so. We have lost Binney & Smith, Total refinery, Gordon Piatt, and several other smaller industries. Which leaves us with what exactly?
The county and the city no longer has a large industrial tax base. The above companies paid a large amount in taxes, plus they paid their workers a decent wage. So when they went under, there was a large "black hole" in the areas tax base.
What to do, what to do? Put a combined local effort in getting new industry? No lets just anex more land into the city to add to the city tax base. Not enough? lets raise taxes. What about Lowes? It would create some new minimum wage jobs, and maybe a few people could get a career by becoming managers. However if people don't have money to spend then Lowes provides what exactly?
People in the city AND county need to quit whining and bitching about Lowes. amigos and whatever the f*** else and start trying to get INDUSTRY, CAREERS, JOBS into Cowley. If there are good jobs, a strong local economy, then Lowes, TG&Y, Victoria's Secret or whatever will come to AC and build a store. On their own dime!
And personally I would love to see the day that the economic growth in this county is so great that we see a gourmet popcorn/bowling shoe rental business go into the old South Summit carry out building.
start trying to get INDUSTRY,
We dont have the people to work the industry we have ... we cant try to go backwards.
we have to do things differently.
its a new world
there has to be a new way to look at things.
No company comes to a town like ours without some kind of deal to make it worth their while.
No company comes to a town like ours without some kind of deal to make it worth their while.
>>>
No company goes anywhere without incentives .. just the way of the world.
Why should they when there is somewhere else that will give them what they want?
Its not unique to small towns at all.
In S.C. I was in a city that was growing about 2000 people a year, they had to build a new school about every year... they gave tax incentives to get even more.
taxes were very low because there were 300,000 people within 50 miles.
"an angry man..."
I worked at the old Packing plant. Was making about $11.00 hr. when it closed in 1981. Total employees were making $$? when it closed. Binney employees were making $$?. G.E. employees are making about $25.00 hr. now (correct me here if you know for sure) rumor has it that the plant here is on the ropes.
What good is a job that pays $6.00 hr.? You can't live on it. You have to go get food stamps to feed your kids.
"What good is a job that pays $6.00 hr.? You can't live on it. You have to go get food stamps to feed your kids."
If you are referring to the Lowes, then I was less interested in the jobs it would bring, and more interested in the products it would bring. I have to drive back and forth to Lowes in Poca to get home supplies, because either the local stores don't have what I need, or they are WAY over priced. And while we are there, we go out to eat, maybe see a movie, and shop at the JC Penney, and the stores downtown.
My point was, it would be nice to have that, and maybe bring some Winfield money into our sales tax, so it would ba paid off sooner, while those of us who live in the city wouldn't be the ONLY ones contributing to the higher sales tax for the schools AND the streets, AND the new hospital. A little foresight on the part of the three amigos would have gone a long way, but foresight is tough when you have your head up your bum (or you don't want competition for you and your buddies... citizens be damned). Because that's really what it boiled down to, and we all know it.
I don't know if anyone else has realized this, but even if we do approve both the hospital and the street sales tax, our local sales tax will still be less than Ponca, Derby, or Wichita.
Win - Win
We get more and are still paying lower sales taxes
I feel all better now
You must be a politician or a lawyer to be able to put a spin on it like that.
"We get more and are still paying lower sales taxes"
More that what?
Wichita Ponca City Derby?
Geez Louise get real
I'm guessing - more than we have now.
geez louise - could there be a positive side?
dunno. What is it?
Positive side are you kidding? This is Ark City. We are kings of put down and negativity and taking pride in our lack of thinking about the future. We hate success and hate successful people even more. If you make a dollar you are evil and if you have an education you are even more evil.
Lowes was bad because it meant the future was important and would have put millions into our tax base within the next ten years even with the incentives that they would have gotten. We are too narrow minded or narrow sighted too see that Lowe's might have saved the downtown and expanded the city.
Optimism is a bad word here.
"Lowes was bad because it meant the future was important and would have put millions into our tax base within the next ten years even with the incentives that they would have gotten. We are too narrow minded or narrow sighted too see that Lowe's might have saved the downtown and expanded the city."
AMEN! Amigos.. Remember the ACLowe's (as opposed to the Alamo)!! when you are voted out at the next opportunity.
I say build a smaller hospital that we can afford without added tax base. Fix the streets with what you can without added tax. IF the hospital can make a go and be profitible THEN add a wing or two with all of that money they say they are going to make. Robbing the citizens while shopping is not the answer.
Save
Spend less
Recycle
NOT SPEND SPEND SPEND!!!!
Hmmm....
Build a smaller hospital. What part do we not build? Surgery? But that brings in $3M a year. OK, I give up, what do we give up for a smaller hospital? What part of service or income shall we do without? Should we put that to a vote too?
Repair more streets. We use the full budget now, so how do we accomplish that? Tax more? Property tax? Ask for donations?
I'm sorry, I know I am being condescending. But let's be realistic a moment. A lot of though goes into these things to find the best solution for now, 10 years from now, and maybe even 50 years from now. The doctors hired accountants and engineers to find the best type of hospital. Building new, and this size came up as the best answer to accountants and engineers combined. The city hired an outside company to find out how to best get caught up on city streets. They told the city how much money they needed to come up with and even made suggestions of what other cities were doing effectively.
Going outside to hire accountants, engineers, and doing studies and finding out what other cities are doing makes good sense to me. If the hospital does pay for itself like they think, the dollars collected on the sales tax will pay it off early. If the city can get caught up on maintenance on the streets it will save us money later.
Or we could take an uneducated guess, get it done now, and pay through the nose later for any mistakes from our guessing. I say let's get all of the trained advice, and hired experience we can get and make the right choice now.
Fix the streets with what you can without added tax.
Thats what theyve been doing for years. That only goes so far, and you see the result..
youre probably one of the people complaining about condition of streets.
Cant have it both ways.
If you want better streets, you have to pay it.
Does the tax mean getting rid of the brick streets which may be rough but seldom need much work. They also add a certain charm to a community that could use some charm? Is a smooth ride worth getting rid of history.
Does the tax mean getting rid of the brick streets which may be rough but seldom need much work. They also add a certain charm to a community that could use some charm? Is a smooth ride worth getting rid of history.
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No brick streets will be paved over.
Some may even get repaired.
Every street will not get fixed.
The last estimates for catching up on street repair was an additional $900K the first year and an additional $600K every year after. This was from an engineering firm hired 2 years ago. The sales tax should put us close to in line with those figures. Though some of the material costs have almost doubled in price since then.
The only way to achieve this was a 0.5% sales tax, or to raise property taxes. In the case of sales tax, almost half of that collected would be from people that live outside of Ark City. It works out the best for AC citizens.
Patrick McDonald
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