Editorial

By Jon A. Brake

Manhattan Business people had better get behind a push to stop the Riley County Commission half cent sales tax.

There are two things that customers do not like: high sales tax and parking tickets.

A check of the Kansas Department of Revenue "Sales Tax Jurisdiction Code Booklet" shows that Manhattan would be in the top three with a new half cent sales tax.

Manhattan would join Atchison and Coffeyville as the highest sales tax for all first class cities in Kansas. (see list below)

The Commission has been busy building a case for the sales tax. To help fight the Free Press campaign "What Did They Do With The Money" the Commission voted four weeks ago to put money aside to fix a bridge. A check of the records show the Commission voted the same amount of money for the same bridge two years ago.

After voting they just failed to fix the bridge.

The Commissioners will be coming out next week with figures on how much they have spent over the past five years on roads and bridges. The Commissioners have had a County worker going over five years of records to find the figures.

The figures will show money spent on oil, sand, etc.

Atchison 7.8%

Coffeyville 7.8%

Dodge City 7.3%

Emporia 6.8%

Fort Scott 7.3%

Garden City 7.05%

Hutchinson 7.05%

Junction City 7.55%

Lawrence 7.3%

Leavenworth 7.3%

Lenexa 7.275%

Liberal 7.3%

Manhattan 7.3%

(1/2 cent added) 7.8%

Newton 6.3%

Olathe 7.275%

Overland Park 7.275%

Parsons 7.55%

Pittsburg 6.8%

Prairie Village 7.15%

Salina 7.05%

Shawnee 7.275%

Topeka 7.2%

WyCounty 6.3%

Wichita 6.3%