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City council agrees to place rec center tax on November ballot
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: September 06, 2012

The Valley Center Recreation Commission's effort to expand facilities cleared another hurdle this week on its way to Valley Center voters.

The city council on Sept. 4 approved a resolution that would place a sales tax question on the November ballot to help fund the expansion. Now, the rec commission will seek the school board's approval of its part of the agreement.

The ballot would ask voters if they want the city to implement a 1-cent city-wide sales tax to help pay for a $6.7 million project to construct a rec center and build soccer, baseball and softball fields on property at the McKay Petrie Sports Complex. The sales tax would be used for 20 years in conjunction with a school district-wide 1-mill property tax.

When it meets Sept. 10, the school board is scheduled to discuss whether it will levy the property tax if the sales tax initiative passes.

Some on the city council balked at the idea of another tax on residents. The vote on the resolution was tied 4-4 with Mayor Mike McNown casting the deciding tally.

“If the people don't want it, they'll vote it down," McNown said. “It's as simple as that."

Council members Judy Leftoff, Harry Gerling, Kate Jackson and Al Hobson voted against the resolution.

Hobson said residents already voiced their opinions about what kinds of improvements they wanted to see in Valley Center when the city conducted a survey earlier this year. Most of the respondents rated sidewalks, streets and drainage as their top priorities, while recreation facilities were rated near the bottom.

Gerling said the proposed ballot question leaves the sales tax open-ended without a sunset.

Leftoff said the question also leaves open the possibility of using the tax for purposes other than the rec complex. She called the tax a “general" sales tax, sparking a spirited exchange with her fellow Ward 1 council member Lou Cicirello, who challenged Leftoff to show him where in the ballot question was the word “general."

State law requires a sales tax to end after 10 years if it is used for a specific purpose. To fit the funding plan for the rec complex, the sales tax would need to be in place for 20 years. That's why the ballot would read:

“Shall the City of Valley Center, Kansas be authorized to impose a one percent (1%) city-wide retailers' sales tax, the revenue of which will be used to finance the costs of capital improvements within the City, including but not limited to a recreation complex, with the collection of such sales tax to commence on April 1, 2013, or as soon thereafter as legally permissible … "

“Future city councils can end it at any time," said City Administrator Joel Pile.

Cicirello, Terry Ishman, Marci Maschino and Jake Jackson voted for the resolution.

In other action Sept. 4, the council:

•Learned the city was selected as a Regional Site for the observance of Veterans Day 2012.

•Heard McNown proclaim Sept. 17 through 23 as Constitution Week in Valley Center.

•Gave final approval to an ordinance that modifies subdivision regulations.

•Adopted a resolution supporting an effort to start a Pride program in Valley Center.





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