City Council Discuss Changing Property and Sales Taxes

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Posted: 6:49 PM May 9, 2008
Last Updated: 6:49 PM May 9, 2008
Reporter: Cayle Thompson
Email Address: cayle.thompson@kake.com

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Wichita city leaders may have found a way to save home and business owners money. A plan is in the works that would shuffle city taxes around, giving property owners a break.

The plan is in its very early stages, and subject to a public vote. Officials say if it gets that far, property owners could save up to ten percent on their annual property taxes.

In its place, city leaders say they would add a one cent city-wide sales tax. The benefit, officials say, is that it would not just apply to shoppers who live and work in Wichita. Tourists and citizens visiting from outlying areas would also contribute to the city's tax revenues.

City council members say lower property taxes would help spur new business, and give struggling homeowners a break when it comes to mortgage payments.

They will begin reviewing the tax changes on Tuesday and say it will take
several weeks to iron out the details. If the plan meets the city council's
approval, it will go forward for a public vote. The earliest it would be on
the ballot is November.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: anon on May 12, 2008 at 05:39 PM
I chose not to own property because of high taxes. Guess I'm going to get screwed anyway!

Posted by: cliff Location: wichita on May 12, 2008 at 10:35 AM
why is it that anytime they try to make taxes more "fair" I end up paying more for less?

Posted by: Anonymous on May 11, 2008 at 04:40 PM
Lets fire all the city leaders, run a bulldozer over cowtown and sell the land, do away with the downtown arena and they will save enough to hire someone that knows what the ........ is going on!

Posted by: Reality Location: wichita on May 9, 2008 at 07:39 PM
Great political idea!! Lets give them a 10% property tax break and add a 1% sales tax. Then when they are used to paying the higher sales tax we will just add the 10% back to the property tax. Raising the property tax back up later wont take a vote to approve it.

Posted by: Anonymous on May 9, 2008 at 07:16 PM
Here comes another consultant that will be paid what little we may have saved on property taxes. When our leaders get another brillant idea, you can bet it will cost more to study it than it's worth.

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