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Pawnee County seeks voter authority to repurpose existing 1% sales tax for public safety
Summary
Pawnee County officials told the Kansas Assessment and Taxation Committee they want authority to ask voters to permit use of an existing 1% countywide sales tax for public safety as well as health care.
Pawnee County officials told the Kansas Assessment and Taxation Committee on Feb. 20 they want authority to ask local voters to allow county commissioners to use an existing 1% countywide retailer sales tax for public safety as well as health care.
Douglas McNett, appearing by WebEx with Commissioner Bob Ryan, said Pawnee County adopted a 1% sales tax in 2009 under statutory subsection b(5) that was dedicated to health care and the county used the revenue to support its critical access hospital. “This bill would not actually create an additional tax burden for our local electorate,” McNett said. He said the draft legislation would give commissioners the flexibility to propose using the existing revenue for county-supported public safety operations and to reduce the rate if voters choose.
Commissioner Bob Ryan said the county has used the sales tax to pay for a county EMS system created after the hospital mortgage was paid off early. Ryan said county analysis suggests the EMS cost “falls below a half percent,” and the commissioners are considering placing a question on the ballot to reduce the sales tax to 0.75 percent while expanding the permitted uses to include public safety. “That is our current thinking, and just expanding where we can use that money,” Ryan said.
Amelia (revisor staff) told the committee House Bill 2125 would authorize Pawnee County to submit a proposition for up to 1% countywide retailer sales tax and pledge the revenue for health care services and furnishing and equipping county-supported public safety operations. The Revisor noted the bill passed the House on Feb. 25 by a vote of 112 to 2.
Witnesses said the measure is intended to give Pawnee County flexibility, not to increase the total tax burden on county residents. The committee did not take a vote during the hearing and closed testimony on the bill.
If enacted, the bill would let Pawnee County place a referendum before local voters to change how the existing, voter-approved sales tax revenue may be used and potentially adjust the rate, subject to voter approval.
