Temporary Emporians
Highway, industrial and roofing projects bring welcome influx of workers
By Jennifer Roblez
Originally published 12:59 p.m., September 25, 2007
Updated 12:59 p.m., September 25, 2007
Transient construction workers in the Emporia area are ringing up sales taxes to the tune of well over $200,000 so far in 2007.
“For a little inconvenience now, it’s worth having (turnpike construction) for a short time,” said Liz Martell, outgoing director of the Emporia Convention and Visitors Bureau.
She was speaking about the project to clean up the jumble of access roads leading to and from the Emporia entrance to the Kansas Turnpike, but also about building construction workers — for example, those working on Westar’s peaking power plant and the REG biodesiel plant or those replacing about 1,200 roofs damaged by hail earlier this year.
Workers often stay in town five days a week, returning to their homes only on weekends. They spend money on lodging, dining out and retail shopping.
“We see them all the time, every day,” said cashier David Mackey of the BP station at Prairie Street and West Sixth Avenue. He said construction workers spend money on food, water, beer and gasoline.
Martin Peres, chief of Emporia’s code services department, said the Emporia area has had “a robust year for construction. ... It’s a good problem to have.”
Charlotte Pinick of the Emporia RV Park said several workers have stayed at the RV park.
“Overall, it’s important money in our community. It’s just wonderful,” she said. “Plus, they’re neat people. It’s been fun to get to know them. Some are from the South and other regions of the country that we don’t normally get here.”
In addition to park fees or hotel lodging, she said the workers buy groceries, clothes, liquor and many other items that generate sales taxes.
Brandy Snyder, general manager of The Best Western Hospitality House in Emporia near the turnpike’s “spaghetti bowl,” said the workers are helping to replace the business of leisure guests who haven’t stayed at the hotel because of traffic congestion from the project.
“It’s been about a wash,” she said. “It’s been a good summer but we always have good summers.”
She’s optimistic, though, about the workers’ overall impact.
“Anytime we can get an extra person to stay in Emporia, it’s a good thing for the whole town,” she said.
Martell acknowledged the inconvenience to some travelers.
“Because of the ‘spaghetti,’ it’s been difficult to get to their properties,” she said of hotels and businesses near the turnpike project. “They couldn’t get back on the turnpike and probably drove to the next exit or farther.”
She estimates each construction worker pours $100 a day or “higher than typical visitors” into the local economy, about 60 percent of that in hotel lodging.
“They help us keep our property taxes lower by adding sales tax revenue,” said Martell, who leaves CVB this week after nearly 11 years to study and work at Emporia State University.
Comments
We allow registered users to post comments on this Web site. To learn more about our posting policies please read our User Poster Agreement Policy.
netloafer (anonymous) says...
Ms. Martel couldn't be saying that our property taxes are low, could she? I suppose it's a stretch on the truth to say that they could be higher if it weren't for the transients, but I'd find it difficult believe that someone could defend our property tax rates here in Emporia. If the $200K represents the transient contribution, it would mean about 1/2 of one percent of the Emporia city budget. That doesn't seem like such a big dent to me.
September 25, 2007 at 4:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
The spaghetti bowl and other items on the banquet of tax dollars have given us all a break, no matter how small, a break nonetheless on our own property tax bills. Works for me.
September 25, 2007 at 5:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
netloafer (anonymous) says...
I didn't say that she said that our taxes are too low. One half of one percent represents very little of our property tax burden.
Property taxes here, on a mill levy basis, are higher than property taxes in California or Massachusetts. We need a lot more than transient workers to change that.
That was the point I was trying to make. I pay my real estate taxes, but I'm not satisfied with the status quo. Perhaps you are, but I'm not.
September 25, 2007 at 8:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
netloafer (anonymous) says...
That's true. It is less. But I'm not satisified with it. I think the current attitudes are some of the primary reasons little ever changes here in Emporia.
September 26, 2007 at 5:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
netloafer (anonymous) says...
Or, one can be an activist!
September 26, 2007 at 8:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
netloafer (anonymous) says...
I could list the ways I've tried to contribute to the welfare of this community and make things better, but I don't think it would satisy some. Suffice it to say that I've done my part, and will continue to do so.
September 26, 2007 at 1:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )