KCMO having major budget problems, I think it's time for the city to get tough with the burbs. (Lee's Summit: rental car, sales)

[kcmo]

The city is having to cut hundreds of jobs and cut back on city services. The city is also thinking of cutting back on many of the attractions and venues it supports like the stadiums and zoo.

So I propose the city do something a bit more drastic. Since the metro area (especially the KS side) has no interest in passing a regional culture or sports tax to support regional assets like most cities do, then KCMO should find a way to raise the money elsewhere.

I would start by either charging less for KCMO residents or charging more for those outside of KCMO. It would probably be easier to just raise prices on everything across the board and then give KCMO residents a discounted rate.

Kauffman Stadium, Arrowhead Stadium, KC Zoo, Starlight, Sprint Center, Midland Theater, Music Hall, the new Performing Arts Center, Kemper Museum, Nelson Atkins, Liberty Memorial, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Jazz Museum, The College Basketball Experience, Major events at Bartle Hall or the American Royal/Kemper arena complex, Municipal Auditorium, Union Station and Science City, major events like the Downtown Air Show and festivals, Arabia Steamboat Museum and I’m sure many more.

Places like Union Station were funded by a regional tax, but that tax only restored the station, it did not build the science center and does not keep the station’s bills paid today. KCMO has since stepped up and pays for much of the station’s expenses. If we had a regional funding source, the Science Museum would probably be a much better attraction today, more in line with other big city science museums.

Then KCMO can buy things it needs like police helicopters, nicer streets etc.

It’s not fair that KCMO has to fund so much of the area’s attractions alone. St Louis doesn’t do it alone. Denver doesn’t do it alone. Minneapolis doesn’t do it alone. They all get the idea that if 1 or 2 even 3 million people help out, it’s much better than if only 450,000 did.

For example, Denver built its NFL and MLB stadiums with a short five year 1/8 cent tax of a tax. But it was paid for by all counties in the area, including Boulder. Yea, Boulder actually chipped in because they understand that having a vibrant urban core in the metro was important to even them. That would be like asking Lawrence to join in on a culture tax. We can’t even get Prairie Village on board, even though that city is 5 times closer to downtown than Lee’s Summit and even many parts of KCMO.

The core built up area of this city has almost 2 million residents within 20 miles of downtown. There are 2.3 million people within 40 miles and downtown and 2.6 million within 60 miles.

Yet, we expect a single city of less than half million to give us everything we want as a metropolitan area. Then we have the balls to say the streets in KCMO are not as good at they are in Overland Park.

Come on KCMO, time to play hardball.

BTW, I know about the Etax. We all pay it, get over it. Many large cities have an Etax and everybody in KCMO and most people on the MO side and many people on the KS side pay it. We still need a regional system set up to fund regional needs like stadiums, culture, arts and transit.

I think it’s the single thing that keeps the KC area from reaching its potential. Regional cooperation that is...

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by kcmo

I would start by either charging less for KCMO residents or charging more for those outside of KCMO. It would probably be easier to just raise prices on everything across the board and then give KCMO residents a discounted rate.

Wouldn't bother me a bit.

But don't underestimate the many ways JoCo residents will find to get around it though. Everybody in JoCo has a friend who will buy their tickets for them.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by Samantha S

Wouldn't bother me a bit.

But don't underestimate the many ways JoCo residents will find to get around it though. Everybody in JoCo has a friend who will buy their tickets for them.

That's why I say, just go high tech and somehow. There has to be a way...

What about just charging people to cross state line? I know that sounds crazy and maybe there would be a way to avoid the fee during rush hour since there are some many commuters the cross both ways, but any other time? Why not.

Mo people don't have to go to KS, they mostly do it out of convenience. It's closer to drive to Leawood or OP for many MO residents than it would be to drive to Lee's Summit or the Northland for the same thing. The Nascar track is about the only real regional attraction on the KS side.

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by kcmo

What about just charging people to cross state line? I know that sounds crazy and maybe there would be a way to avoid the fee during rush hour since there are some many commuters the cross both ways, but any other time? Why not.

Bad idea - will never happen. And higher prices for those outside KCMO probably won't ever happen either.

KCMO doesn't want to discourage the rest of the metro from coming in and spending money. And that's how it would be perceived. When crowds from JoCo (or other burbs outside the city proper) come in for an event, it's not just about the ticket prices - it's about all the money we spend just being there - eating, shopping etc.

I think a "cultural" or "entertainment" or "civic" surcharge on tickets to events would fly though.

[RjRobb2]

Actually, it is mainly about the other money that is spent there. When a city attracts out of town people, it isnt about the money they spend on that event. It is about the other money they spend while here.

It is about the gas they pump, the meals they buy, the rental cars, hotel room, and even buying a candy bar at the gas station. All that adds up. If you do anything (such as adding a state line toll) to discourage people from crossing state lines, it will be felt for many businesses.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by Samantha S

Bad idea - will never happen. And higher prices for those outside KCMO probably won't ever happen either.

KCMO doesn't want to discourage the rest of the metro from coming in and spending money. And that's how it would be perceived. When crowds from JoCo (or other burbs outside the city proper) come in for an event, it's not just about the ticket prices - it's about all the money we spend just being there - eating, shopping etc.

I think a "cultural" or "entertainment" or "civic" surcharge on tickets to events would fly though.

Yea, because the burgers you buy in KCMO that one time you came to visit the WWI Museum really helps! I’m also sure the soda you buy at the Sprint Center or Kauffman Stadium goes a long way too.

Let’s take the Zoo as an example. KCMO passes a ½ sales tax to fund the zoo. What will a KCMO resident pay over the life of that tax compared to that of an average suburban resident? I would imagine one trip to the grocery store will probably equal the yearly average of a JoCo resident. Now imagine if that was a regional 1/16 or 1/8 of a cent that lasted only ¼ as long. That KCMO resident would probably have a nicer street in front of his house as the city could use the other ¼ cent to pave streets.

Multiply that out by the number of times this occurs and you begin to understand why Lenexa can spend over a million dollars on a single traffic signal while KCMO just tries to keep their signals working while new ones installed by KCMO cost 200k.

I think KCMO should try it for one year and for that same year, use all the money they send to regional venues and attractions to resurface roads, hire more police, install street lights etc. KCMO doesn’t need to spend 10 times what they need to on infrastructure to add crazy rock towers and fountains and overkill landscaping like places like Lenexa do, just simply update 50 year old infrastructure.

I don’t think JoCo residents will stay out of KCMO. That would just punish themselves. Why in the world would you live in a place like JoCo and not take advantage of a city next door. May as well live in Salina. That would be quite a boring life, although I’m sure a lot of people out there do live like that.

[MoNative34]

Originally Posted by kcmo

what about just charging people to cross state line? I know that sounds crazy and maybe there would be a way to avoid the fee during rush hour since there are some many commuters the cross both ways, but any other time? Why not.

lol!!

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Yea, because the burgers you buy in KCMO that one time you came to visit the WWI Museum really helps! I’m also sure the soda you buy at the Sprint Center or Kauffman Stadium goes a long way too.

I'm really beginning to lose any hope that you ever know what you're talking about, kcmo.

The last time I came into the city with my family for an event, the tickets to the event were comps.

However - we spent about $20 at the venue, another $65 or so on dinner, and I dropped over $400 shopping at Crown Center. We do this sort of thing several times a year -- and we're just one family from the "burbs". Add in the money I spend when I am here for work (I fill my gas tank in MO as often as I can!) and then multiply that tax revenue by the hundreds of thousands of other 'burbites doing the same thing.

Try getting the businesses at Crown Center, the Plaza or the P&L district to agree to start charging me just to drive on your streets.

Good luck with that!

I don’t think JoCo residents will stay out of KCMO. That would just punish themselves. Why in the world would you live in a place like JoCo and not take advantage of a city next door.

If it cost me just to cross the state line, I would certainly stay away. But I doubt I'd be deprived of much, as more KCMO businesses and venues would move to where the money is and the "urban core" would suffer more.

Rather than "getting tough with the 'burbs" the city of KCMO needs to learn how to better exploit the money that's there and that is willingly coming in.

[kcmo]

I think it would be pretty difficult for the Nelson, the Sprint Center, the Zoo, Union Station, the WWI Museum, Kauffman Stadium, Arrowhead Stadium etc to jump to the KS side "where the money is".

PS, the Money is not on the KS side, it's pretty evenly spread across both sides. Remember there are over 2 million people in metro KC, at best, one fourth of that is from JoCo. There are at least as many wealthy people on the MO side as the KS side. I know this is nearly impossible for many to comprehend, but it's true. You see, the MO side is more than one suburban county, it has several upscale areas, (each smaller than JoCo yes) and an urban core that has many wealthy people living in it. Plus in raw population, over 60% of the metro lives on the MO side and WyCo IS very poor. The Zoo, Starlight, Royals, Chiefs etc all have more season ticket holders from the MO side than the KS side.

But if JoCo is where the money is, which is one of the many things that MO residents hear all the time, then what is the problem with paying a regional cultural tax? Why should the poor people in KCMO pay for the toys that the people that live in 400k JoCo homes get to entertain themselves in.

It's nice that you spend money in Crown Center. Many Missourians spend money in Oak Park Mall, It's a wash.

What we need is a dedicated source of revenue that is collected metro wide to fund regional assets.

It's really that simple. Denver, StLouis, Minneapolis and many other cities do it, but KC just doesn't get it.

[MoNative34]

Originally Posted by kcmo

There are at least as many wealthy people on the MO side as the KS side. I know this is nearly impossible for many to comprehend, but it's true.

Yea, because the burgers you buy in KCMO that one time you came to visit the WWI Museum really helps! I’m also sure the soda you buy at the Sprint Center or Kauffman Stadium goes a long way too.

That would be quite a boring life, although I’m sure a lot of people out there do live like that.

BTW, I know about the Etax. We all pay it, get over it.

You can't expect "cooperation" when you talk down to people.