This is part two of the saga of Johnson County’s 1/4 cent Public Safety Sales Tax IV, which will be on our November ballot.

May 27, 2025

A little background for your consideration.

Currently we have three 1/4 cent Public Safety Sales Tax initiatives on the books, that’s correct, THREE.

1.    Public Safety Sales Tax I was passed in 1994 with no sunset with current revenue of approximately $33 million to the county, the cities are receiving their cut as well, just under $20 million with no strings attached. 

2.    Public Safety Sales Tax II was passed in 2008 with no sunset which originally was the education sales tax, but converted to Public Safety with the vote in 2008. Again, the county’s annual revenue is approximately $33 million and the cities receive just under $20 million again with no strings attached.

3.    Public Safety Sales Tax III was passed in 2016 for the construction of the Crime Lab and Johnson County Courthouse (which I call the Titanic on the Prairie) and will sunset in March of 2027.  The county is receiving approximately $33 million from this sales tax and again the cities are reaping just under $20 million.

So, currently we are paying a total 3/4 cent sales tax in 3 separate 1/4 cent sales tax initiatives for public safety.  Total annual revenue to the county is just under $100 million. The cities are receiving just under $60 million. Whew, that’s a lot of millions!!!!

Even with the sunset of Public Safety Sales Tax III (the Courthouse and Crime Lab paid for) Public Safety Sales Taxes I and II will still be in effect. The county will continue to receive annually approximately $66 million in public safety sales tax revenues and cities approximately $40 million, which appears insufficient for the county elites’ spending appetite.  I’m certain the cities have grown EXTREMELY accustom to the annual windfall…via our pockets.

In order to shore up the “spendaholics” addiction to OUR money, the BOCC is now asking the voters of JoCo to pass Public Safety Sales Tax IV without stipulating a construction project(s).  Instead, the money will go into the general fund for ongoing expenses, vaguely described for Public Safety, Mental Health and Med-Act. The County will receive 62.2% and the cities 37.8% of the projected $54 million in annual revenue.

I don’t know about you, but I trust having my money in my pocket far more than in the hands of the county and the cities. How about considering a quaint idea, reduce taxes??? 

Another thorny issue, the county has not identified and specified a construction project(s) and questions are being asked as to the legality of Public Safety Sales Tax IV.  It could be the BOCC chief legal counsel committed a BIG oops in advising the BOCC that they were not required to specify a project or projects.  

See what you think, here is K.S.A. 12-187(21): The board of county commissioners of Johnson County may submit the question of imposing a countywide retailers’ sales tax at the rate of 0.25% and pledging the revenue received therefrom for the purpose of financing the construction and operation costs of public safety projects… (emphasis mine)

Hmmm, seems to me the BOCC is skating on thin ice.

Stay tuned as this plays out in How the Tax Dollar Burns…holes in the politicians’ pockets.