Lyon County sales tax issue passes through committee hearing
By Brandy Nance (Contact)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Lyon County’s sales tax bill passed through the Taxation Committee this morning and is now headed for the House floor.
Scott Briggs, Lyon County Commission chairman, said the hearing went well.
“It couldn’t have gone any better,” Briggs said.
Briggs said Lyon County’s bill, House Bill 2026 was combined with Rawlins County. Both Lyon and Rawlins County exceed their one percent sales tax cap.
On Aug. 5, voters in Lyon County approved a county-wide 1 percent sales tax, which the county was to begin Oct. 1.
Despite overwhelming voter approval, the sales tax was negated by the state shortly after its passage by voters. The county already has a 1/2 percent sales tax in effect. Lyon County learned from the Department of Revenue that the tax could not be collected because it exceeds the 1 percent sales tax cap for the county. The county had two options to deal with the sales tax: re-voting the tax to stay within the 1 percent cap or asking for special legislation to gain permission to collect more than the 1 percent cap.
House Bill 2026 states that the county may fix the rate at 1.5 percent. For full text of the bill, go to http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2010/2026.pdf.
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Posted by methusla (anonymous) on January 29, 2009 at 3:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, shoot, people there you have it an even higher tax increase to pay for the commissioners pay raises !
Boy, the economy of Lyon County must be better than I thought and people are just rolling in money in order to pay an even higher tax than was first voted for. Why even vote in favor of or against anything. It seems that excersizing ones right to vote doesn't mean much anymore. Because the politicians seem to be able to either nullify the vote or change what was voted on, after a vote anyway !
Sorry, but I am one disgruntled voter.
Posted by jc1968 (anonymous) on January 29, 2009 at 3:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Methusla, you should inform yourself before you make a post. The County already has a .5% sales tax and the vote would have moved it to 1.5% which exceeded the 1% cap set by Statue. The Kansas House is passing the bill so the voters of Lyon County can have exactly what they voted for and no more.
Posted by methusla (anonymous) on January 29, 2009 at 4:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry, I mis-understood, I thought that there was going to be an additional 1.5 percent on top of the .5 percent. Sorry for jumping to the wrong conclusion.
Posted by justthinkin (anonymous) on January 29, 2009 at 6 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Which STATUE set the 1% cap? Just teasing !
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