Before we get rolling into a few quick observations, here’s a dining tip. Try the Palacio Maya Mexican Restaurant near I-29 and 64th Street. Good food and, if you enjoy an occasional frosty beverage, this place has very cold draft beer.
Some observations on the largest tax increase in Platte County history, which goes on the ballot in the form of a jail tax on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
*The 20 year half cent sales tax would pull $408 million from taxpayers and would be the largest tax increase in county history.
*Platte County commissioners presented a jail tax financial plan that they admit is full of errors. Presiding Commissioner Scott Fricker admitted it after a public forum in Parkville. Fricker said he sees no need for the county commission to post any corrections. They want you to pay for their failure to do the basics.
*After publicly telling us the new jail would be for Platte County prisoners only, the county commissioners have been caught quietly selling side deals to other agencies. It was recently exposed that Platte County’s financial advisor began meeting with Clinton County officials in late May/early June, and the advisor recently put out a statement saying “my hope is that the conversations will continue.” They want to import prisoners into Platte County. Importing someone else’s prisoners and related problems that will follow.
*County commissioners have been spending up to $84,000 of taxpayer money on what they call an “educational campaign.” If you’re opposed to this tax, commissioners have been using your money to try to convince people to vote opposite of your opinion. Their mailers have contained factual errors, including one taxpayer-funded mailer that said “417 beds are needed now.” This is a total fabrication and a scare tactic that isn’t even close to being accurate. The current jail population is around 200.
*County commissioner Joe Vanover in a taxpayer-funded video says “your informed decision is important,” but the commission admits their plan contains errors and they have made no public effort to correct those mistakes.
*One of the major errors by the county commissioners involves projected inmate population. The county commission in their documents uses inmate numbers that are wildly overstated compared to projected inmate counts made by their jail expert. For instance, the county commission’s document says in the year 2036 to expect a jail population of 480 inmates. But their own jail expert says that number will be 302. The county commission exaggerates the number by 59 percent.
*The proposed 471-bed jail would be a major overbuild and would have a tremendous amount of excess capacity. Using the county’s current incarceration rate compared to projected general population growth, the estimated overbuild will be 30% above what is needed to fit the county’s long range needs.
*Some Vote Yes mailers went out this week, paid for by “Platte County Citizens For Public Safety.” That organization’s address matches Platte County Presiding Commissioner Scott Fricker’s home address. The mail piece uses scare tactics, similar to the over the top scare tactics we saw in an ambulance district tax increase that passed by a handful of votes in the spring. Violent crime offenders are not going to be set free if you vote no.
*The county has a junk bond rating and commissioners have no idea what the interest rate on the bonds will be. In other words, commissioners have no idea what the county’s borrowing costs will be. As a Landmark reader pointed out, this would be like a homeowner buying a house without knowing what their interest rate is going to be. No one does that.
*The county commission’s appointed Committee for Public Safety did NOT recommend a half cent sales tax for 20 years. Not even close. The committee recommended a quarter cent or 3/8 cent sales tax for 10 years, not 20, and did not recommend a new tax for operations.
*Millions upon millions of dollars in expenses the county commission lists in its 20 year jail plan are expenses that are already covered by existing taxes. Double taxation at its worst.
*The City of Platte City has said if a new jail is approved there will be no street improvements done by the city in Downtown Platte City until after the jail construction project is completed, which will be 2028. Get used to seeing the downtown streets in the condition they’re in right now, if not worse.
*The half cent sales tax increase by the county would make the sales tax rate in some portions of Parkville 10.475 percent. Insanity. Just imagine what the sales tax rate will be at Zona Rosa.
*Recent crime stats show a downward trend. According to numbers provided by Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd, felony prosecutions in the county are down by 14% compared to two years ago. Misdemeanor prosecutions dropped by 36% in the most recent year. Remember, marijuana possession is no longer a crime.
*Platte County Treasurer Rob Willard opposes the jail tax ballot measure. Platte County Auditor Kevin Robinson calls the county commission’s supporting documentation “suspect.” Former county commissioner Steve Wegner is opposed.
*In his campaign mailers, county commissioner Joe Vanover claims to have saved taxpayers $3 million per year by getting taxpayers to approve a smaller roads tax rate a couple years ago. That $3 million per year reduction that Vanover is taking credit for is child’s play compared to the $408 million jail tax increase Vanover is now proposing. Let’s do the math. If this thing passes, even if Vanover saves us $3 million per year it would take him 136 years to get us back to even.
(Have something to add? Email Foley at ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)
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