Last week the City of Wichita held a town hall meeting on water issues. The issue is ripe because the city has placed a one cent per dollar sales tax on the November ballot. The largest share of the revenue, 63 percent, is earmarked for expansion of the Aquifer Storage and Recovery project, or ASR.
I appeared at the meeting and expressed my concerns regarding things I had recently learned, which is that we’ve cut expectations for ASR production in half. Also, ASR is still in commissioning stage.
Alan King, Director of Public Works for the City of Wichita, said the individual components of the ASR systems have been tested, and that the tests have been successful. He confirmed that the original estimates of production were too high.
We also learned that there have been days where there was sufficient water in the Little Arkansas River to draw from it, but that sometimes the levels of bromide or atrazine have been too high, and the water could not be used.
View a video excerpt of the meeting below, or click here to view at YouTube.
In an advertisement in the Wichita Eagle and in a mailer sent to Wichita voters, the “Yes Wichita” group makes a series of statements regarding plans for a new water supply. It’s important that Wichita voters be aware of the complete facts and context of these claims so that they make an informed decision on how to vote.
The city has proposed a one cent per dollar sales tax. The largest portion — 63 percent or $250 million — is earmarked for a new water supply. Voters will see this question on the ballots for the November 4, 2014 election.
Advertisement from “Yes Wichita.” Click for larger version.Here’s what the “Yes Wichita” group has stated under the heading “The Plan For Affordable Long-term Water Supply” along with what voters also need to know.
Save taxpayers $221 million over 20 years in costs. This statement is true only if the Wichita city council decides to pay for ASR expansion by using long-term debt. That decision has not been made. Besides that, there are other ways to raise this money. And if using debt for water projects is bad, why did the city borrow over $200 million for the current ASR project, and hundreds of millions for other water projects? See By threatening an unwise alternative, Wichita campaigns for the sales tax.
Wichita Water Supply Plan Capital CostsReplace 60 year old aging pipelines so water is transported safely. The sales tax plan for water calls for the augmentation of one pipe, as shown in the city’s plan. Not replacing pipes plural, as this advertisement indicates. Plus, the pipe that is the subject of the city’s water plan is 60 years old, but there is no indication that it needs replacement.
Tourists, visitors and renters help pay for our water. This is true. It is also true that if funds were raised through higher water bills, these people would also pay. Also, city documents regarding the sales tax state: “The State of Kansas estimates that 13% of sales taxes paid in the Wichita area are paid by non-residents based on a report at www.ksrevenue.org/pullfactor.html.” But at the “Yes Wichita” website, there is a different claim: “If we fund a new water source through a sales tax instead of water bills or property taxes, visitors and tourists will pay the sales tax, reducing the burden of this cost to Wichitans by about one-third.” Which is it? 13 percent, or 33 percent? Will “Yes Wichita” show us their figures or provide a reference for the basis of this claim?
Prevent future high water rate increases. This is true. If we experience a prolonged drought, water rates would have to rise to cover the fixed costs of the water utility. That is, if we have such a drought. That may not happen, or it may not happen for many years.
Fund ASR improvements which would provide new wells and a water storage site. This is true. What’s left is to decide whether making these additional investments in the ASR project is wise. We’ve learned that the expectations of ASR have been cut in half. We’ve learned that the ASR project is still in its commissioning phase, and it has not been turned loose for actual production for any significant period. I do not believe we have enough knowledge and experience to judge the success or failure of ASR. See Should Wichita expand a water system that is still in commissioning stage?
This is the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation. It routinely advocates for special deals whereby downtown developers don’t have to pay property taxes or sales taxes. Or if they do pay property taxes, they might be routed back to them for their exclusive benefit. But as you can see, WDDC campaigns for low-income households to pay more sales tax on groceries.
“Yes Wichita” television advertisement.Here’s a still image from a “Yes Wichita” television advertisement. This group campaigns in favor of the one cent per dollar Wichita sales tax that is on the November ballot.
This image misleads voters in two ways, one which is significant.
First, Wichita doesn’t have wooden water pipes, as shown in this advertisement.
Wichita Water Supply Plan Capital CostsSecond, the sales tax plan calls for the augmentation of one pipe, as shown in the city’s plan. Not replacing pipes plural, as this advertisement indicates.
Plus, the pipe that is the subject of the city’s water plan is 60 years old, but there is no indication that it needs replacement.
Here’s a snippet from a recent “Yes Wichita” advertisement and mailer. This group campaigns in favor of the one cent per dollar Wichita sales tax that is on the November ballot.
Following is the entire quote from the Wichita Eagle story. I’ve used bold type for the parts that the advertisement used. Everything else was discarded. Do you think it is misleading to leave out the part about how a significant portion of the rate increase will happen regardless of the sales tax vote?
“Without the sales tax, water rates would have to increase 32 percent over the next four years to pay for expansion at the city’s Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) facility northwest of Wichita. That would set the rates high enough so the city could start making bond payments in 2018, Public Works and Utilities Director Alan King said.
That increase would be on top of projected water rate increases totaling nearly 20 percent over the next four years to meet regular maintenance needs of the existing infrastructure.
So the total rate increase for the water base charge would be nearly 52 percent by 2018.”
Why is the City of Wichita spending taxpayer money mailing to voters who don’t live in the city and can’t vote on the issue?
A resident of Bel Aire thought it was curious that she received an informational mailing regarding an issue she can’t vote on. The issue is the proposed one cent per dollar Wichita city sales tax that is on the November ballot.
Envelope of sales tax mailer sent by Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer to Bel Aire resident. Click for larger version.What is curious about her receiving this mail about the Wichita sales tax? She can’t vote on this issue because she lives in Bel Aire, not in Wichita. Only those voters who live in Wichita will have the question on their ballots. Bel Aire is a nice town, but it is not Wichita.
So why did the City of Wichita spend tax dollars informing residents of Bel Aire about an issue on which they may not vote?
Many Wichitans question whether the city should have spent tax dollars on this mailer. Especially when it’s pretty clear that the material is designed to encourage citizens to vote in favor of the tax.
(If you doubt whether the city’s educational material is advocating for passage of the sales tax, consider this: The “Yes Wichita” group campaigns for passage of the tax. This group refers voters to the city’s website to learn about the issue. “Yes Wichita” would not do that if the city’s material contained anything that might discourage a “Yes” vote.)
I’ve been involved in political campaigns. I’ve always been quite careful to send mail only to those voters who live in the relevant jurisdiction. That is, I don’t waste donors’ money mailing to people who are not able to vote for my candidate.
The return address on this envelope indicates the mail came from the Office of the Mayor. So may I ask, Mayor Carl Brewer, why are you wasting taxpayer money sending mail to people who can’t vote on this issue?
Here’s a large sign that urges Wichita voters to approve a higher sales tax. This sign is located on the property of a restaurant that’s part of a chain. Its president actively campaigns for the higher sales tax. Say, did you know that restaurants do not pay sales tax on the food they purchase? But low-income Wichitans pay sales tax on their groceries, and at a rate that is nearly the highest in the nation. (Only 14 states have sales tax for groceries, and Kansas has the second-highest rate.)
Does this seem fair and just, that the president of a restaurant chain would campaign for higher sales tax on groceries? On top of this, almost two-thirds of the sales tax revenue would fund a project that protects wealthy neighborhoods from lawn irrigation restrictions during an extended drought. For this, low-income households are asked to pay higher sales taxes on their food.
This is Union Station in downtown Wichita. Its owner has secured a deal whereby future property taxes will be diverted to him rather than funding the costs of government like fixing streets, running the buses, and paying schoolteachers. This project may also receive a sales tax exemption. But as you can see, the owner wants low-income households in Wichita to pay more sales tax on their groceries.
