A Kansas City attorney is asking a Jefferson City judge to block a Nov. 2 vote on Kansas City and St. Louis’ earnings tax.
Kansas City and St. Louis residents pay a one percent earnings tax that goes to those cities for services. Proposition A, slated to be on the November two ballot, would ask votors statewide whether St. Louis and Kansas City votors should review that tax every five years, and whether any other city should have the authority to impose an earnings tax. Kansas City AFL-CIO president and Fire Department batallion chief Pat Dujakovich is asking Judge Beetem to block that vote. He admits it’s an uphill battle, but says they’ll fight it all the way.
Kansas City attorney Galen Beaufort says if Judge Jon Beetem denies the request, he’ll appeal the decision, but says an appeals court decision would need to happen quickly since absentee ballots are set be mailed Tuesday and the Nov. 2 election is right around the corner.
Beaufort says the earnings tax helps pay for essential city services.
If voters pass Proposition A, no other city in the state could impose an earnings tax in the future, and St. Louis and Kansas City voters would have to approve the current tax there every five years. If they voted against it, it would be phased out over ten years.
Beaufort questions the constitutionality of the ballot measure, but Let Voters Decide attorney Marc Ellinger disputes that, saying there’s nothing unconstitutional about Proposition A. Ellinger says he also disagrees with Beaufort’s statement that voters aren’t educated about the issues.
Ellinger says the Consititution allows the state to create its laws … and that the people of Missouri are the state.
Jessica Machetta reports [Mp3, 1:39 min.]
St. Louis Post-Dispatch article: http://www.stltoday.com/news/article_8203ff44-c292-11df-b504-0017a4a78c22.html
Kansas City Star article: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/09/17/2231367/kc-officials-are-pessimistic-that.html
