Sedgwick County Commission
2008-11-01 11:35:00
County Commission Office
Question: How will Karl Peterjohn improve our county?
Answer: Republican County Commission candidate Karl Peterjohn has been a taxpayer advocate at the Kansas statehouse since 1993 fighting on behalf of fiscal reform in our state. I have worked to improve the fiscal climate in Kansas by reducing excessive and economically harmful state and local taxes. I have also helped get large reductions in the statewide property taxes enacted in both 1997 and 1998. This reduction cut the statewide mill levy by 43 percent, or 15 mills.
At the same time have played an important role in reducing the state income tax by expanding personal exemptions as well as the standard deduction. These cuts worked and occurred while state revenues were growing rapidly.
At the local level I led the effort to keep Sedgwick County under the state’s property tax lid in 1997. In 2006 I was a leader in fighting the county’s 8 percent property tax hike and presented the Sedgwick County commission with over 2,000 signatures of citizens who shared my opposition to raising property taxes.
I have worked to expand economic growth by eliminating uncompetitive business taxes. I was awarded for his work on the odious “paper clip” business personal property tax that was forcing many businesses to waste time counting everything from office supplies and minor business items. The Lansing-Leavenworth Area Chamber of Commerce gave this award to me for my work on this statewide issue. Eventually this exemption enacted on property was eventually expanded to cover all business personal property. I have a proven record of working to grow our economy, eliminate tax uncertainty, and expand job and growth in our community.
As a strong advocate for fiscal responsibility I have also worked to protect homeowners, farmers, and business from eminent domain land grab abuse by government. The U.S. Supreme Court’s terrible Kelo decision expanded government’s ability to grab private property for increasing tax valuations and other non-governmental functions. This is wrong. I am determined to change Sedgwick County’s eminent domain and urban renewal policy.
As a term limits supporter I have pledged to limit his service on the county commission to no more than three consecutive terms if he is elected.
At the state level, I helped get a budget transparency bill enacted at the statehouse in 2008. I am determined to make this type of budget transparency available to county taxpayers at the county level in Sedgwick County.
Soaring tax appraisals are a major cause of higher property taxes. I want the county appraiser to separate out the increases in valuation caused by new construction versus increases on existing properties that are strictly be revalued. More clarity in property tax appraisals is needed for Sedgwick County taxpayers.
I am is the only county commission candidate who has government budget analysis experience. I was a budget analyst who worked from 1973 to 1975 for Ronald Reagan.
