Comments From Citizens Regarding No Tax Increase


Vote NO On April 7




April 4, 2015


I note with amazement the campaign for another “no tax increase” tax increase is again being offered to the taxpayers of Lee’s Summit by the R-7 School district.  If there isn’t going to be a tax increase, who is going to pay the $40 million?  The good tooth fairy?   These scamsters have no ethics or truth in their campaign.


Do you think your property taxes are too low and need to be raised?  Our $300,000 a year R-7 Superintendent thinks the more cash he can raise for the District, the more salary he has earned. I urge you to vote NO on the “no tax increase” tax increase on April 7.

Bob Gough
Lee’s Summit


  1. locomotivebreath1901 says:
April 6th, 2015 at 13:58

VOTE NO on the "No-Tax-Reduction" bond proposal on April 7. Let's shrink this government monopoly with its power to tax, instead of growing it. 

Proponents of the $40 million "no-tax-reduction bond" issue on the April 7 ballot correctly state "Through this partnership, R-7 and UCM will construct and operate a shared educational facility housing R-7’s Summit Technology Academy..."

Total est. new construction costs are $43.75 million. LS R-7 tax payer's will pay $17.5 million (40%), and UCM will provide $26.25 million (60%), yet LS R-7 will own the facility. How does that work, exactly, and where does UCM get $26.25 million to finance to this facility? The proponents don't say.

Plus, the claimed $9 million dollars in savings to LS R-7 tax payers during the next 20 years "based on trading leased space for a district-owned school" rings hollow because $17.06 million of the April 7 bond proposal is slated for deferred "maintenance projects at numerous schools including playgrounds."

In other words, would projected maintenance costs for yet another new facility exceed assumed lease savings from the current Technology Campus - requiring yet another 'no-tax-increase' bond issue in the future??

The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau for LS R-7 is 2012.

Budget Total: $185,075,000

Staff expenses consumed 74.9% of those tax dollars.

Debt Service required 6.8% of those tax dollars.

In 2013, Dr. David McGehee's annual compensation was $258,660 plus benefits.

Since 2007, the superintendent's salary has increased 52 percent.

In stead of perpetually rolling over debt service, year after year, for new construction and maintenance of aging structures, let the district reign in the top heavy management expenses of a $185,075,000 annual budget to take care of long term infrastructure costs.

VOTE NO on the "No-Tax-Reduction" bond proposal on April 7. Let's shrink this government monopoly with its power to tax, instead of growing it. 
 

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