By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Members of the Hays City Commission Thursday night said they would not support the use of a sales tax to fund a proposed bond issue for Hays schools.
Superintendent John Thissen made a presentation to the commission during a work session. He said the district would like to pursue a half cent countywide sales tax.
The 25-year sales tax would be divided between all three school districts in the county based upon enrollment.
The district would like to use its share of a half-cent sales tax coupled with property tax for an $89 million bond project.
All the city governing bodies in the county and the county commission would have to approve the sales tax before the bond could be placed on the ballot.
Commissioner Henry Schwaller IV said he had a concern about the length of the sales tax. The city has never used a city sales tax on a project for more than five to eight years.
“I absolutely oppose a sales tax for schools for multiple reason,” he said. … “The major economic driver for a city is its education system as is its health care, so whatever the Vision Committee does is very important to me.
“I know with the research you have done is that you can do this with property tax and that’s makes me think that is best.”
He said he did not think that non-Hays residents should pay for Hays schools.
“My primary concern is that I do not believe outsiders, people who live in Rooks, Russ or Trego or Rush, should pay for our schools,” Schwaller said.
“The reason why we use the citywide sales tax the way we do is because outside people who visit here also use streets, fire, emergency help and police. The reason we decided to do this is they are using a service and paying for it,” he said. “They are paying for their own schools. Why should they pay for ours?
He said the sales tax needs a break. It should not be in perpetuity at a half percent. People in northwest Kansas are struggling. Sales tax is the most regressive tax and those with the least means struggle to pay it, he said.
Schwaller also said he did not think the school bond plan had been well vetted and needed more refinement.
Commissioner Sandy Jacobs said the schools need work, but property tax is where the funding should come.
Commissioner Lance Jones also said he would oppose sales tax for a school bond.
“I sent an email saying that if you pursue this bond issue, I will not support anything with the sales tax,” he said.
He also said he did not think people who come to Hays to shop need to pay a tax to support Hays schools.
“By tying up a half cent, it may not seem like a lot, but you are putting our taxing ability for twenty-years [on hold]” Jones said.
He said he thought there was a need for a bond, but any sales tax past five years, he would not support.
Mayor Shaun Musil said his children would benefit from the bond, but he was concerned about the length of the proposed sales tax and how it might affect the city’s taxing ability.
“We are really close to where our mill levy may have to go up if sales tax keeps going where it’s at,” he said.
He said he thought 25 years was too long.
Thissen said he thought a bond in some form will pass.
“I truly believe the community will support a project,” he said. “The issue is what project and how it is financed. I have no doubt that will occur. It is just a matter of working through the process.”
The proposed $89 million bond would include a new elementary school and improvements to Wilson and Roosevelt elementary schools to include storm shelters, additional security and additional and renovated classroom space.
Each elementary school would be able accommodate four sections of each grade.
O’Loughlin would be renovated for use by Early Childhood Connections, the students at Munjor and the students in the Westside program.
The middle school would have a new auxiliary gym to accommodate more physical education students, a new classroom addition, a cafeteria addition, right-sized classrooms and security improvements.
Hays High School would have a new auditorium, new auxiliary gym to accommodate more physical education students, a CTE addition, right-sized classrooms and a classroom storm shelter addition.
The alternatives to a $89 million bond project would be a $78 million project that would include a 10-year city sales tax or a $56 million project that would only be funded by property tax.