NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The quarter cent sales tax that supports street construction, property tax relief, Cosmosphere and Strataca is up for a public vote November 8. It's not a new tax.
"I think this is the sixth time that it's come up for a vote," said Hutchinson Interim City Manager Gary Meagher.
Jim Remar with Cosmosphere said that the sales tax money is vital to their operations.
"It accounts for about 19 percent of our budget," Remar said. "It allows us to do a lot of the different programming and upgrades at the facility. In fact, a prime example is this past weekend, we had a SR-71 event, where we had pilots, SROs and maintenance crews in Friday, Saturday and Sunday at no cost to the public and it's through the proceeds of the sales tax that we're able to do things like this."
Remar added that a sales tax is an appropriate way to support tourist attractions like Cosmosphere, because that allows the people that come to town for such things to help support their infrastructure.
"Over 20% of that tax is generated from people coming from outside of Hutchinson," Remar said.
The projected $11 million generated over five years from the renewal of the sales tax would continue to be distributed so that 47% of the tax goes for Hutchinson's street program, 33% to Cosmosphere, 15% for property tax reduction, and 5% to Strataca.
A community conversation on the tax will happen at Shears Technology Center on October 20th at 6:30 p.m.