INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – Now that the Independence City Council has given the green light to put the property tax proposal on the April 3 ballot, the measure is out of their hands and in to the voters’.
“This strategic policing plan will make us more proactive instead of reactive,” said Independence Police Chief Tom Dailey.
Dailey said increasing the real estate tax by $0.36 per $100 of assessed valuation would generate about $3.7 milion a year. In turn, the police department could hire 34 new officers and eight civilian positions while also getting new technology and increasing officers within its specialized units.
“We know we can reverse crime in Independence because we do it,” said Dailey. “We have had success. We don’t have the resources to sustain that success.”
Dailey said more police officers on the streets will make the city safer, which could have positive economic implications.
“This is tremendously important,” said the police chief. “The two things people check when they move into an area are schools and crime. We know we can have an impact on crime and disorder.”
Independence Mayor Don Reimal agreed.
“The safer your community, the more apt you are to get businesses to come in and settle and start up,” said Reimal. “As that happens more people move in and the rooftops are stable because they’re buying the property.”
Reimal said the council chose a property tax over a sales tax because in a tough economy revenue from sales taxes fluctuate, while revenue from property taxes remain more consistent.
If the tax (which is $0.3629, to be exact) becomes a reality, homeowners can expect to pay an addition $68.95 per year for every $100,000 their home is worth. That rounds out to $5.75 per month. For businesses it would be about $117, or $9.75 per month, for every $100,000.
Additionally, Independence would still have some of the lowest property taxes in the metro. The 2010 real estate tax levy comparisons per $100,000 of assessed valuation are as follows.
- Raytown – $9.2116
- Lee’s Summit – $8.9031
- Blue Springs – $ 8.8267
- Kansas City – $7.9818
- Independence (proposed) – $7.8442
- Independence (current) – $7.4813
The Independence City Council will give presentations on the property tax increase proposal between now and April. If you would like to schedule a presentation, contact a council member by clicking here.
