taxes

Kansas state Sen. Cindy Holscher, the Democratic Party’s nominee for governor, said Republican Senate President Ty Masterson failed to leverage a Republican majority to tackle property tax reform.

A federal rule change in April could end up saving cannabis companies millions of dollars, but businesses that sell medical and recreational marijuana face unanswered questions about which expenses they can deduct.

Missouri voters will decide whether to create a state-owned investment fund that supporters say could eventually replace state taxes and provide long-term financial stability. Amendment 7 critics worry it could jeopardize funding for essential services.

Jackson County voters on Nov. 3 will decide whether to renew the county’s 1/4-cent anti-crime sales tax, known as COMBAT. The tax generates between $25-30 million per year to support the county's crime and drug prevention efforts.

The Unified Government will auction off owner-occupied houses, vacant lots and commercial properties with delinquent property taxes on Wednesday. But a group of Wyandotte County residents is trying to raise money to help families stay in their homes.

With Election Day less than a month away, Republican Ty Masterson holds an advantage in recent polls as Democrat Cindy Holscher works to raise her profile. Both candidates continue to focus on education and property taxes on the campaign trail.

In one of the state’s few competitive Senate races, the candidates draw contrasts over public schools, taxes and abortion.

One part of City Council's financing plan authorizes $615 million in bonds to fund the future stadium in Crown Center. Another creates a "stadium impact area," where certain future tax revenue increases will be redirected to pay off the debt.

Kansas City Council could redirect certain tax dollars from parking spaces, Westside restaurants, energy companies, and more for the next 30 years to help pay for a new Royals ballpark in Crown Center. The council's finance committee advanced the ordinance on Tuesday.

If passed on Nov. 3, the amendment would establish the “Show-Me Prosperity Fund,” a public endowment similar to a sovereign wealth fund. However, it would not allocate any money into that fund. Supporters hope that the investment could one day be used to replace state taxes entirely, but economists worry that it could put state services at risk.

On Wednesday, the Jackson County Legislature overrode two vetoes from Phil LeVota, slightly increasing levies for the Community Mental Health Fund and Board of Services for the Developmentally Disabled.

Kansas City's plan to pay back the $600 million it will borrow for or spend on the Royals stadium at Crown Center relies on tax revenue that wouldn’t exist without the new ballpark.