Libertarian Party considers fighting tax increases
Tax increase this year substantially higher than past 10
Posted: August 26,
2013 - 5:02pm
THAD ALLTON/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL
Earl McIntosh, spokesman for the Libertarian Party of Topeka,
says the party is considering filing a series of petitions to fight increases on
property taxes.
The typical Topeka home saw its property tax bill climb by about $200 in the
past decade — nearly half of which will hit just next year.
This time, Topeka homeowners are fighting back, said Earl McIntosh, spokesman for the Libertarian Party of Topeka. The party, he said Monday, is considering filing a series of petitions to fight the increases.
“It’s easy for them to raise property taxes,” McIntosh said. “But we’ve got a shrinking base of property owners, and they are paying more than their fair share. It’s unfair and it’s unsustainable.”
A $100,000 home in Topeka will add $100 to its property taxes next year after the city of Topeka, Shawnee County and the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority voted this month to raise their mill levies by a collective 8.7 mills. The other main four taxing entities in Topeka didn’t raise their taxes.
That is the single highest mill levy increase for the city’s main seven taxing entities in the past 10 years, according to past county tax levy sheets. Mill levies won’t be official until assessed valuations are finalized in November.
In response to this year’s tax increase, members of the city’s Libertarian party are gathering information to potentially petition the city’s and county’s budget, along with a few other items aimed at limiting the taxing authorities’ abilities to impose taxes. The goal, McIntosh said, is to give the public more of a voice in the budgeting process.
“It may not happen, but there’s a serious effort to look into it,” he said.
Some elected officials seemed to support the effort.
“I am a fiscal conservative, and believe the more scrutiny of budgets and tax increases by the public the better,” Commissioner Bob Archer said.
McIntosh’s Topeka councilwoman, Elaine Schwartz, said she is awaiting a clarification from the Attorney General’s Office regarding petitions against budgets. She commended McIntosh for his efforts.
“I am and always have been supportive of citizen’s input into the legislative/governing process,” Schwartz said. “I’d also comment that while being the only council member to consistently vote against spending and tax increases, I will sign the petition if and when it comes into being.”
Councilman Chad Manspeaker said he is “a proponent of direct democracy” and wished the group the best.
“The thing to keep in mind in such an endeavor, though, is that if successful, the level of service and quality of life in our city would no longer be in the hands of those the citizens have elected to represent them,” he said.
Shawnee County elections commissioner Andrew Howell indicated at least three statutes could come into play with the efforts, though which ones will depend on if and how the group follows through. Until a petition if filed, he said, he wouldn’t feel comfortable guessing how many signatures the party would need or what the process would look like.
Topeka’s Libertarian Party also is looking into what it would take to file three Topeka ordinances by petition, McIntosh said.
One would prevent the city council from raising property taxes, sales taxes and franchise fees without a public vote.
The second would require a public vote on any mill levy increases from the MTAA, the Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library and, potentially, Washburn University.
Currently, the boards to these bodies are appointed by elected officials and have authority to approve their own budgets and to set their own mill levies. The transit service relies on the city of Topeka to set its mill levy cap.
“That’s taxation without representation,” McIntosh said, adding that the party completely supports those services. “We believe it’s unconstitutional, and we’re ready to challenge it.”
Archer also welcomed a review into the practice.
“I have always been a critic of unelected boards setting mill levies and raising property taxes,” he said.
The third petition ordinance would make members of the city council independent contractors rather than employees of the city, he said.
“There’s a major conflict of interest there,” McIntosh explained. “This way, they would more represent the homeowners and the people of the city better.”
Topeka’s mill levy since 2003 increased by 19.6 percent. That means the city’s mill levy has outpaced its assessed valuations by almost 4 percent, according to tax levy data.
Shawnee County, meanwhile, has increased 11.95 percent — roughly 6.44 percent lower than changes to the county’s assessed valuation.
Shawnee County and Topeka have increased their mill levies an average of roughly 0.6 mills since 2002 — meaning next year’s increase of nearly 4 mills each is several times their average.
Together, the next year’s increases are twice as high as any tax hike in the past 12 years. This year was the second highest increase since 2002, at a collective 3.941 mill jump.
Now is not the time to be raising taxes, McIntosh said. What elected officials don’t consider, he continued, are the other factors pulling for homeowners dollars, making these tax hikes more painful than ever before.
“Every day I talk with people who are homeowners and I can tell you people are hurting and hurting bad,” McIntosh wrote in a presentation before the city council. “Most people on fixed incomes can’t ever begin to keep up with all the tax increases and price increases on essentials like food, water, heat and gas. I’m telling you, homeowners can’t afford a penny more in taxes or expenses. Please get the money somewhere else.”
RISING TAXES
Taxing entities in Topeka and Shawnee County have increased mill levy rates by 17.58 mills over the last decade, amounting to a $202 tax increase for a $100,000 home in Topeka.
This time, Topeka homeowners are fighting back, said Earl McIntosh, spokesman for the Libertarian Party of Topeka. The party, he said Monday, is considering filing a series of petitions to fight the increases.
“It’s easy for them to raise property taxes,” McIntosh said. “But we’ve got a shrinking base of property owners, and they are paying more than their fair share. It’s unfair and it’s unsustainable.”
A $100,000 home in Topeka will add $100 to its property taxes next year after the city of Topeka, Shawnee County and the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority voted this month to raise their mill levies by a collective 8.7 mills. The other main four taxing entities in Topeka didn’t raise their taxes.
That is the single highest mill levy increase for the city’s main seven taxing entities in the past 10 years, according to past county tax levy sheets. Mill levies won’t be official until assessed valuations are finalized in November.
In response to this year’s tax increase, members of the city’s Libertarian party are gathering information to potentially petition the city’s and county’s budget, along with a few other items aimed at limiting the taxing authorities’ abilities to impose taxes. The goal, McIntosh said, is to give the public more of a voice in the budgeting process.
“It may not happen, but there’s a serious effort to look into it,” he said.
Some elected officials seemed to support the effort.
“I am a fiscal conservative, and believe the more scrutiny of budgets and tax increases by the public the better,” Commissioner Bob Archer said.
McIntosh’s Topeka councilwoman, Elaine Schwartz, said she is awaiting a clarification from the Attorney General’s Office regarding petitions against budgets. She commended McIntosh for his efforts.
“I am and always have been supportive of citizen’s input into the legislative/governing process,” Schwartz said. “I’d also comment that while being the only council member to consistently vote against spending and tax increases, I will sign the petition if and when it comes into being.”
Councilman Chad Manspeaker said he is “a proponent of direct democracy” and wished the group the best.
“The thing to keep in mind in such an endeavor, though, is that if successful, the level of service and quality of life in our city would no longer be in the hands of those the citizens have elected to represent them,” he said.
Shawnee County elections commissioner Andrew Howell indicated at least three statutes could come into play with the efforts, though which ones will depend on if and how the group follows through. Until a petition if filed, he said, he wouldn’t feel comfortable guessing how many signatures the party would need or what the process would look like.
Topeka’s Libertarian Party also is looking into what it would take to file three Topeka ordinances by petition, McIntosh said.
One would prevent the city council from raising property taxes, sales taxes and franchise fees without a public vote.
The second would require a public vote on any mill levy increases from the MTAA, the Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library and, potentially, Washburn University.
Currently, the boards to these bodies are appointed by elected officials and have authority to approve their own budgets and to set their own mill levies. The transit service relies on the city of Topeka to set its mill levy cap.
“That’s taxation without representation,” McIntosh said, adding that the party completely supports those services. “We believe it’s unconstitutional, and we’re ready to challenge it.”
Archer also welcomed a review into the practice.
“I have always been a critic of unelected boards setting mill levies and raising property taxes,” he said.
The third petition ordinance would make members of the city council independent contractors rather than employees of the city, he said.
“There’s a major conflict of interest there,” McIntosh explained. “This way, they would more represent the homeowners and the people of the city better.”
Topeka’s mill levy since 2003 increased by 19.6 percent. That means the city’s mill levy has outpaced its assessed valuations by almost 4 percent, according to tax levy data.
Shawnee County, meanwhile, has increased 11.95 percent — roughly 6.44 percent lower than changes to the county’s assessed valuation.
Shawnee County and Topeka have increased their mill levies an average of roughly 0.6 mills since 2002 — meaning next year’s increase of nearly 4 mills each is several times their average.
Together, the next year’s increases are twice as high as any tax hike in the past 12 years. This year was the second highest increase since 2002, at a collective 3.941 mill jump.
Now is not the time to be raising taxes, McIntosh said. What elected officials don’t consider, he continued, are the other factors pulling for homeowners dollars, making these tax hikes more painful than ever before.
“Every day I talk with people who are homeowners and I can tell you people are hurting and hurting bad,” McIntosh wrote in a presentation before the city council. “Most people on fixed incomes can’t ever begin to keep up with all the tax increases and price increases on essentials like food, water, heat and gas. I’m telling you, homeowners can’t afford a penny more in taxes or expenses. Please get the money somewhere else.”
RISING TAXES
Taxing entities in Topeka and Shawnee County have increased mill levy rates by 17.58 mills over the last decade, amounting to a $202 tax increase for a $100,000 home in Topeka.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment. All that we ask is that you keep it civil and clean. Thanks.