ROB WILLARD SAYS A 20-YEAR TAX IS TOO MUCH
Platte County Treasurer Rob Willard announced his opposition to the Platte County jail tax this week. Willard is the first elected official to publicly oppose the tax.
The Platte County Commission has placed a jail tax proposal on the Aug. 6 election ballot. The tax would be a half cent sales tax to run for 20 years. The new tax is projected to generate more than $408 million for construction of an $85 million jail addition and to fund operations of the proposed 471-bed jail for 20 years.
In terms of revenue generated, it would be the largest tax increase in the history of the County of Platte.
“I support the principle but not the plan,” Willard said, emphasizing his support for an expanded jail. “Twenty years is too long for a tax like this. If approved, a whole generation of Platte County voters will be denied the right to act as a check on government.”
Recent Platte County tax proposals have ranged from around six years to 10 years.
“A vote every 10 years allows the people to judge whether the government has been a good steward of the money,” Willard said, highlighting the history of Platte County sale tax proposals. “If the government has, the public will allow this tax to continue to fund the project and the operation of the jail. If not, the public has the right to take their money back.”
Willard, a former assistant prosecutor under Eric Zahnd, said he supported previous jail expansion proposals and the law enforcement sales tax.
“I agreed with the members of the 2014 task force that advocated for an expanded jail beyond an additional 70 beds in the “futures” area. I voted for the 2019 jail tax proposal when Sheriff (Mark) Owen seemingly campaigned by himself and used his own personal money for yard signs. I voted for the law enforcement tax. I will be voting no on the Aug. 6 jail tax proposal.”
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