St. John 1% Sales Tax Passes in Primary Voting

On Tuesday, August 2nd, residents in the City of St. John were encouraged to vote on a 1% sales tax proposition.  The proposition read as follows:



"Shall the following be adopted?

Shall a retailers' sales tax in the amount of one-percent (1.0%) be levied in the City of St. John, Kansas to take effect on January 1, 2017 or as soon thereafter as such tax may be levied by the Kansas Department of Revenue, and shall be collected for a period of ten (10) years from the effective date of the retailer's sales tax, with revenue from such tax used to fund general governmental services provided by the City, which may include but is not limited to, economic development purposes and infrastructure projects in the City of St. John, Kansas, all pursuant to K.S.A. 12-187 et seq., as amended?"



Voting was close, but the sales tax proposition did pass and will take effect in January 2017.  Funds from this sales tax will help with costs to establish a new grocery store within the City and further business development that includes infrastructure development needed to support new business. 
Given historical sales levels (prior to Dillon's closing) a sales tax will generate over $100,000 per year with a grocery store being the single biggest contributor to the sales tax base. 

Prior to this vote, St. John was currently one of the few cities around that did not charge a city sales tax. Here are a few examples of surrounding communities' total sales tax percentages, keeping in mind that the State Tax is 6.50% and Stafford County is 1.00% of that total:
 

• City of St. John - 7.500% (will now be 8.500%)
• City of Stafford - 8.500%
• City of Pratt - 9.000%
• City of Great Bend - ranges from 8.250% to 10.250%
• City of Hutchinson - ranges from 9.100% to 11.100%