Illya blog

Earnings-Tax Elections Loom in St. Louis, Kansas City

treasuries as they've done before. Should a majority of voters come out against the measure, the earnings tax will be phased out over a period of 10 years?

City leaders in both urban areas approached the new law with trepidation. Earnings taxes have been a part of both cities for nearly 50 years.would mean finding other funding solutions which may also require the approval of voters. Raising property taxes, sales taxes or other taxes may be needed or both places would face steep budget cuts.

Thereports the earnings tax is responsible for 40 percent of the city's budget. Yet each person only pays one percent. One thing to consider for residents of both cities who get to vote on the proposal is that much of the earnings taxwho commute to the city but work within city limits. Those people don't get a chance to vote on the proposal yet they pay taxes for the privilege ofor Kansas City.

It's a lot like New York: Visitors to the city pay tolls on every thoroughfare to get there via bridges or tunnels. In the same way, Missouri's two largest urban areas also benefit from those who live outside the city limits and commute to work.

As a former resident of St. Louis myself, I see the need for better city services for everyone involved. Better police officers, fire fighting capabilities, paved roads and clean drinking water are all necessary for the proper functioning of a large city.

Every municipality needs a way to get income. In New York City, the answer is collecting a toll to cross bridges and tunnels into the city. When cars drive either direction on the Lincoln Tunnel or George Washington Bridge, those tolls go towards better living in New York City. If voters remove that income, the largest city in the United States would suffer.

Other cities rely on sales taxes such as Springfield in southwest Missouri. Other services such as schools and libraries have property taxes levied upon residents. St. Louis already has high property taxes so residents probably won't go for increasing how much they pay in order to own a house or car. Kansas City is similar in scope.

Taxation is a thorny issue in any part of America. Missourians get what we pay for, and hopefully they will take this into account when voters go to polls April 5 on both sides of the state.

William Browning, a lifelong Missouri resident, writes about local and state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Born in St. Louis, Browning earned his bachelor's degree in English from the University of Missouri. He currently resides in Branson.