Dahl delivers: Representative submits sales tax bill on behalf of county
Sales taxes revealed for neighboring counties, cities
Staff reporter
Marion County's name has been added to a state bill that would allow the county to include a special sales tax question in a general election for a law enforcement center.
Representative Don Dahl stated Saturday at legislative coffees in Marion and Hillsboro that he did follow through with a request from Marion County Commission.
"It is in committee now," Dahl said, where it will be debated before going to vote.
If passed, county voters then could have an opportunity to vote on a sales tax up to 1.5 percent to be used to pay bonds for a new law enforcement center.
Proposed cost estimates indicate a one percent retail sales tax increase would cover debt of $8-$10 million for the facility.
In Marion, when Dahl made the comment, the 25-plus in attendance broke into applause.
Dahl made the comment in Hillsboro that he was "not pushing the tax" but doing what he was supposed to do.
"The county commission asked me to facilitate the special tax bill and I did it," said Dahl.
There was no applause but Howard Reimer of Hillsboro said the tax increase could discourage out-of-town business.
"Marion County depends a lot on outside business," Reimer said. "If you raise the sales tax, the outside business will not come in."
He added that the only way it will work is if other neighboring counties have similar sales taxes.
"If we lose that business, we'll lose automobile dealerships (in Marion County)," Reimer said.
Dahl said he agreed that the tax could have a detrimental effect on businesses.
Sales taxes elsewhere
So how does Marion County and the cities within the county stack up?
Currently, Marion County has an additional one percent sales tax, for a total of 6.3 percent. (The state has a 5.3 percent base retail sales tax.)
A one percent increase would make Marion County's sales tax a total of 7.3 percent. That one percent increase also would be passed to the cities within the county.
Currently, Hillsboro and Florence both have a 7.3 percent retail sales tax, and Marion 7.05 percent.
Neighboring counties and communities have the following sales taxes:
Butler County 5.3 percent, and El Dorado 6.3 percent.
Chase County 6.3 percent, and Cottonwood Falls and Strong City 7.3 percent.
Dickinson County 6.3 percent, and beginning in April Herington will impose 7.8 percent.
Harvey County and Newton 6.3 percent.
Lyon County 5.8 percent, and Emporia 6.8 percent.
McPherson County 6.3 percent, and McPherson 6.8 percent.
Morris County 6.3 percent, and Council Grove 7.3 percent.
Reno County 6.3 percent, and Hutchinson 7.05 percent.
Saline County 6.3 percent, and Salina 7.05 percent.
Sedgwick County and Wichita 7.3 percent.
The additional one percent would make Marion County's sales tax 7.3 percent, Hillsboro and Florence 8.3 percent, and Marion 8.05 percent. Sales tax in the other cities in the county without a city sales tax would increase to 7.3 percent.
The highest retail sales taxes imposed in the state for cities or counties are DeSoto in Johnson County at 8.15 percent, and Desoto in Leavenworth County and Chetopa both at 8.05 percent.
The highest sales tax in the state belongs to a Roeland Park Transportation District in a specific development area in the Kansas City area. That sales tax is 8.650 percent.
Other transportation districts at more than 8 percent are a second Roeland Park at 8.150 percent, two Olathe districts at 8.525 percent each, and a Manhattan Transportation District at 8.05 percent.
Another story related to the legislative coffee in Marion and Hillsboro can be found on page 3 in this edition of the newspaper.
