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Tuesday, October 7, 1986 / University Daily Kansan
Carlin tells voters about tax amendment
By KAREN SAMELSON
Staff writer
Gov. John Carlin has stepped up his efforts to inform voters about a proposed constitutional amendment that would change the state's property tax system in hopes of assuring its approval in November.
Carlin held a press conference yesterday in Wichita to promote the proposed property tax classification amendment, which, he said, would protect homeowners and farmers from the effects of reappraisal now underway. The conference was part of Carlin's larger effort to promote the amendment.
"The classification amendment drastically reduces the property tax
DECISION'86
shifts resulting from the reappraisal that everyone agrees is necessary." Carlin said. "It also makes significant improvements in our business tax structure."
Property reappraisal without classification would shift more of the tax base to residential and agricultural property owners and would significantly reduce the property tax burden on businesses and utilities.
However, the proposed classification amendment is tied to the state's current push to reappraise property.
Vic Miller, state director of property valuation, said he was afraid that voters would confuse the classification amendment with property reappraisal, which will continue regardless of election results.
Miller said the proposed amendment would abandon the concept of uniform and equal assessment to give preferred treatment to homes and farms.
1989, because property in some counties has not been appraised in more than 20 years and the assessment was outdated.
The Kansas Constitution now requires uniform and equal assessment and taxation. By law, the rate is set at 30 percent of its market value.
However, Miller said, in practice the assessments range from 30 percent down to about 5 percent, varying among counties and even within counties.
The purpose of reappraisal, Miller said, is to find the fair market value for every parcel of real estate in the state.
"It's a totally inadequate and illegal system," Miller said.
Don Gordon, Douglas County appraiser, said that the county was last resappered in 1964 and 1965 but that the district would keep to keep up with the current market.
For example, a new house in the county would be assessed at 30 per
Board can use public funds to fight issue
The Associated Press
the question However, Biles said although
TOPEKA — An attorney for the State Board of Education said yesterday that the board could use public funds in a campaign to defeat a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot. The amendment would give the Legislature power to review the board's regulations.
nothing would prohibit individual board members from using public funds to make personal mailings to oppose the proposition, he thought such a move would create an issue.
Board members are solidly opposed to the amendment, which would eliminate the board's self-executing power as an independent branch of state government and would impose legislative review of the board's actions. The proposal will be on the ballot as constitutional question No. 5.
Dan Biles, the board's attorney,
made the remarks during a board
strategy session in preparation for
a campaign against the amendment.
Biles said a review of state laws
showed there was no problem
with using public funds to oppose
the question.
cent of market value using 1964 standards.
During the strategy session, board member Bill Musick, a Minneapolis Republican, said the most important message to get across to voters is that a "no" vote is a vote to keep the status quo.
Board Chairman Robert J Clemmons, a Republican from Independence, said he planned to ask Gov. John Carlin to oppose the amendment. Clemmons said Carlin had made his support known for the other four proposed amendments being presented to voters in November.
But board member Marion Stevens, a Wichita Republican, warned that too much board activity against the amendment could result in overkill.
In 1985, Douglas County homes were assessed at an average of 9.05 percent of their actual market value, commercial property at 6.99 percent and agricultural land at 4.43 percent, Miller said.
The board also discussed ways to get publicity against the proposition in local newspapers, and ways to set up small forums to present both sides of the issue on local television and radio stations.
Without the classification amendment, reappraisal would mean that homes and farms suddenly would be assessed at 30 percent of their actual value instead of the lower rate used now. Miller said.
This would lead to a relative shift of the tax burden, with the greater emphasis being placed on properties whose current level of taxation is furthest from the required level, he said.
Without classification, the proportion of tax revenues coming from residential property would increase from 23.1 percent to 33.9 percent, Gordon said. With classification, the residential share of the tax base will increase to only 26.5 percent.
Gary Toeben, president of the Kansas Industrial Developers Association, represented one of three groups that appeared with Carlin yesterday.
Toebben is executive vice president of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, which endorses the proposed amendments.
The Kansas Retail Council and the Kansas Association of Small Business also announced their support at the news conference.
Lawrence club to provide fun without alcono
Staff writer
By KIRK KAHLER
Its owner says it's like Las Vegas in Lawrence, and the city's teen-age population will be able to judge for themselves starting Oct. 17.
A non-alcoholic club, the Lawrence Connection, will occupy the building at the corner of 9th and Mississippi streets, said John Oakley, who is opening the new club.
Besides non-alcoholic drinks, Oakley said, the club will feature dancing, new sound and lighting systems and weekly dance contests.
"It's basically going to be a place for people 14 to 25 years old who are tired of the alcohol scene," Oakley said.
He plans to serve non-alcoholic pina coladas and daquiris, as well as soda, popeorn and pizza.
Oakley said he would have bands perform two or three times a month and would have two disc iockevs play Top 40 music.
The dance floor will have a specially designed light system that will flash to the beat of the music. Oakley said. The system also features
snake lights that shoot beams onto the dance floor.
Above the dance floor, Oakley said, would be an enormous sound system.
Because he wants parents to feel comfortable about their children frequenting his club, Oakley said, he is going to invite them there to check it out.
Oakley said he got the idea for the club from a recent article in the Kansan.
The article discussed the limited nightlife possibilities for Lawrence High School students
Marilia Hazlett, Lawrence High senior, said she thought the club was a good idea.
"Finally, Lawrence will have something like the West Coast," he said.
Because of the increasing legal drinking age in Kansas, Hazlett said, she thought there was a growing market for clubs such as the Lawrence Connection.
and others who were not old enough to go to area bars.
"As president of Students Against Drunk Driving, I think it is needed," she said.
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"I think $1,000 might be stiff enough to get their attention," Angino said. "Maybe the way to do it is to close them down."
He said that the fire chief had the power to close down repeat offenders and that the city could take action if the business was violating public health or safety.
A letter sent by Richard Barr, Lawrence fire marshal, to the assistant city manager stated that some violators have chosen to pay a $200 fire instead of conforming to the fire code.
City Commissioner Ernest Angino said he thought the proposed $1,000 maximum penalty might deter owners from breaking the code on purpose.
Crowding ordinance up tonight
"It's difficult for the police to enforce the code every time, every night, in every place." Angino said.
The measure is a proposed amendment to a city ordinance that allows a maximum fine of $200 against proprietors who permit bar exits be blocked or locked and who do not adhere to the maximum occupancy figure established by the fire marshal.
The Lawrence City Commission tonight will consider a measure that could increase to $1,000 the penalty against bar owners who permit overcrowding in their establishments.
Jerry Little, city prosecutor,
said two or three bar owners
habitually broke the code, but
declined to give their names.
By JOHN BENNER
"If an owner violated the code two or three times a year, I would recommend to the judge that the maximum penalty of $1,000 be applied," Little said.
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