Table of Contents - Unified Government of Wyandotte County ...

With consolidation, the Unified Government is required to maintain separate accountings of budgets forCity and County operations. This is to ensure a fair balance between KCK taxpayers and taxpayers inBonner Springs and Edwardsville. In recent years, the budget has required significant financialtransfers from the KCK city general fund to the county general fund to avoid large increases in thecounty tax levy. A financial transfer is again required in the proposed 2013 budget with KCK shifting$1.7-million from the city general fund to the county general fund.2013 Proposed Budget Major InitiativesGrowing the community and its economy is the highest priority of the 2103 Proposed UnifiedGovernment Budget. The major initiatives are designed to encourage new development, new jobs andnew housing.• Stable Property Tax RateNo increase in the Unified Government property tax levy in 2013, while setting the stage for incrementaland sustainable reductions over the next few years.• Eliminate the BPU Payment-in-Lieu of Tax Fee (PILOT)This budget calls for eliminating the PILOT fee which appears as an added charge on BPU water andelectric bills. Beginning in 2014, the fee will disappear from utility bills and the BPU will instead transfera fixed amount of revenues each year to the Unified Government. Under the current structure, thePILOT fee is a percentage of the total electric and water bill, so as rates increase due to EPAmandates, the cost of the PILOT also increases. Creating a Municipal Utility Enterprise Account, withthe BPU transferring a fixed amount of money annually to the Unified Government, will prevent thoseincreases and customers will save money.In many cities which own their electric and water utilities, the PILOT fee is not added to the bill in whatappears to be an additional charge. Instead, the funds are simply transferred to the city treasury out ofthe gross utility revenues because the utility is a department of the city. While the BPU operatesseparately from the Unified Government, it is still a part of the Unified Government and as such, has noreason to add what appears on customer bills to be an extra fee.The Unified Government Water Pollution Control Department will also transfer a fixed amount ofrevenue from storm water and sewer charges to the Municipal Utility Enterprise Account as well.This proposal will require cooperation between the Unified Government and the Board of PublicUtilities. It also requires acknowledgment that the UG and BPU are not separate, independentinstitutions, but part of the same local government organization… a local government which exists forone purpose… to serve the citizens in the best way possible. And it will require elected leaders toshatter the tried, true and traditional way of doing things and to be innovative and bold in their actions.• Waive Building Fees for Single Family HomesThe economy is showing signs of recovery and it is imperative Wyandotte County take steps to ensureincreases in the construction of new single family homes. While Unified Government building fees are