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Commissioners review draft county survey on zoning and possible sales-tax ballot question
Summary
Atchison County commissioners reviewed a draft public survey that would inform a possible ballot question on zoning protections and a temporary sales tax to fund county services; the board set a publication timeline and asked staff to refine language and clarify legal distinctions between zoning and nonbinding resolutions.
A county commissioner presented a draft public survey Tuesday intended to gauge residents’ views on zoning protections and a possible temporary sales tax for county services, and commissioners discussed wording, statutory limits and a timeline for finalizing the document.
The draft seeks feedback on possible measures including (as described in the draft) use of resolutions versus formal zoning and an illustrative sales-tax question for a three-quarter-cent (0.75¢) retail sales tax for five years. Commissioners questioned the framing of some questions and the potential for perceived “leading” language. They instructed staff to make technical edits, to clarify whether referenced protections would require zoning or could be implemented by resolution in limited circumstances, and to avoid steering respondents through phrasing or acronyms.
Board members discussed timing: the draft must be finalized for proofreading on Aug. 19 to publish on Aug. 20; commissioners asked staff to circulate a revised third draft before the next meeting. The board emphasized the need to highlight in the survey when a measure would be a nonbinding resolution rather than a zoning change, and to explain the legal limits of county authority where applicable. Commissioners also noted the need to show clearly how a hypothetical sales tax would translate into property tax relief (the draft used an illustrative conversion to “mils” for context).
Commissioners asked staff to consult with the county attorney about the statutory differences between zoning and other protections and to supply clearer explanatory text for respondents. The board instructed staff to continue revising the survey and return with a final draft at the next meeting.
