EDITOR:
Last Tuesday’s election should serve as a warning to taxpayers across Platte County.
In Kansas City, voters renewed the one percent earnings tax by a wide margin. But the bigger issue is not just the outcome — it is the process. A tax that was set to expire was effectively extended through an off-cycle election, where turnout is typically far lower than in major election cycles. That means a relatively small number of voters can make decisions with long-term financial consequences for hundreds of thousands of residents.
Weston voters also approved a one percent sales tax increase. Taken together, these results make one thing clear: tax increases are not going away, and the people pushing them are not going away either. They will continue to come back again and again, often in lower-turnout elections, hoping the public is distracted or disengaged.
People in Platte County should take note. Government’s first instinct is too often to ask for more from taxpayers rather than to show restraint, set priorities, and live within its means. Families and small businesses do not have the luxury of endlessly increasing their income whenever budgets get tight. Government should be held to the same standard.
I am running for Platte County Presiding Commissioner, and my position is simple:
I will not support tax increases in Platte County, and I will not support the use of off-cycle elections to push them under the radar.
More taxes are not the answer. Too often, they are part of the problem.
As President Ronald Reagan once said, “The taxpayer — that’s someone who works for the federal government but doesn’t have to take a civil service examination.”
Taxpayers need leaders who will hold the line, protect their hard-earned money, and insist on accountability before asking for one more dollar.
--Jason Maki
Candidate for
Platte County
Presiding Commissioner
