subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Tue, Nov 10 2009 

Published July 04, 2009 11:39 pm - A Farmington attorney is stirring up a statewide fight over sales taxes, the bread and butter of many city budgets.
He’s already targeted some Southwest Missouri towns and has plans to go after others — namely Joplin and St. Joseph — soon.


Cities facing taxing issue



By Debby Woodin

dwoodin@joplinglobe.com

A Farmington attorney is stirring up a statewide fight over sales taxes, the bread and butter of many city budgets.

He’s already targeted some Southwest Missouri towns and has plans to go after others — namely Joplin and St. Joseph — soon.

Some officials in the cities and the state Legislature question his tactics, and some, his ethics.

But that hasn’t stopped Tom Burcham.

At issue is what is called “stacked” sales taxes. Burcham says Missouri law allows a town, with voter approval, to assess: one sales tax to pay for general-use, or general-fund, expenses; one sales tax to pay for capital projects, one for transportation-related expenses, and one for parks and storm-water projects.

Burcham has said he will challenge Joplin’s public-safety sales tax this summer, citing it as a general-use, or general-fund, assessment that city officials have designated for public safety. He says the half-cent public-safety tax on top of the city’s 1-cent general-fund tax constitutes stacking and is illegal.

He’s won his argument against a couple of small towns, Iberia and Purdy, though on different types of sales taxes. He has lawsuits pending against Mount Vernon and Granby. Mount Vernon may have sidestepped the fight by letting its disputed tax sunset.

High stakes

In all, 51 cities in Missouri have multiple general-use sales taxes and 15 have more than one capital-projects tax, said Gary Markenson, executive director of Missouri Municipal League. That state organization represents about 660 cities.

“If he is successful and the judge nullifies these taxes, these cities are going to have to lay off fire and policemen,” Markenson said. “It’s pretty serious. If a judge orders the money collected refunded, they’ll be bankrupt overnight. And I’m not being alarmist either.”

No refunds have been ordered in the Burcham challenges.

Joplin’s city attorney, Brian Head, said the city did not intend to enact a stacked tax. He said city officials relied on an interpretation of the law supplied by the state Department of Revenue.



print this story    email this story    comment on this story   

Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.


Add a comment on this story







autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Click here!!

: Special Offer For New Subscribers : 32 buy 1 get 1 free offers

Click Here!



Featured Jobs

ORTHOPAEDIC
Specialist of the Four States is currently accepting applications for the following postiions: Physical Therapist, Occcu...>MORE

See all ads

Featured Transportation

VOLKSWAGEN, 1998 BEETLE,
black, 5 speed, looks, runs and drives great, only 84,000 miles, $3400. 417-621-0850....>MORE

See all ads

Featured Homes

NO CREDIT NEEDED QUALIFY
for 0 down Own completely remodeled 2/2 16x80 single section manufacturered home, 2 acres, trees, corner lot, large deck...>MORE

Deerfield Estates
in Carl Junction, prime building sites, reduced $10,000 each. 417-825-0052...>MORE

NO CREDIT
needed qualify for 0 down Own completely remodeled 3/2 16x80 single section manufacturered home, 2 acres, new front deck...>MORE

1995 16x72 2 BR, 2 BA,
fully furnished, all appliances, 1 owner, beautiful, smoke free, must move. $17,500. (417)423-2385....>MORE

See all ads

Other Cool Stuff

BASS BOAT, 2005
Lowe aluminum, 17’, 2005 90 hp Mercury, 2006 trailer, excellent shape, low hours. $7,500. (417)776-8846 evenings or 417-...>MORE

TEA CUP
Chihuahua pup, female, shots, wormed. Information (417)843-2735...>MORE

CRAFTSMAN
radial 10” arm saw; skil saw 7 1/4”; Singer Featherweight machine; clocks/pocket watches; 7.62-54 rifle, accessories; Ca...>MORE

1993 KUBOTA 1560
lawn tractor, 42” cut with bagger, $800. (417)364-8231....>MORE

10 YEAR OLD BUCKSKIN
mare, 14-hands, broke for anyone, $750; miniature Jack and bred Jenny, $400 pair. (417)434-3700....>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index

 

 

The Joplin Globe Electronic Edition