This Spring, residents in Pittsburg, Kansas will decide whether to extend a half cent sales tax to fund law enforcement and fire services. From KRPS in Pittsburg, Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.
If passed this April, the measure would essentially be an extension of the sales tax Pittsburg residents in the Spring of 2013. The tax went into effect January 1st of 2014 and sunsets at the end of this year.
According to 2013 reporting by the Joplin Globe, the increase was supposed to provide about $1.2 million to fund 10 additional officers and updated technology, in addition to funding five officers in an investigative unit.
Tuesday night at the bi-weekly meeting of the Pittsburg City Commission, councilmember Chuck Munsell questioned police and fire staffing levels. City Manager Darren Hall had this response,
“Oh, I don’t think I have a department that’s fully staffed. But we do have, I think we do have three or four vacancies in the fire department and we’ve got and my best guess is that we’ve got at least ten in patrol. We got an update this morning we have six applicants that are currently in the process.”
According to reporting from the Kansas News Service last year, law enforcement agencies throughout Kansas have struggled with hiring. Roughly one in five sworn positions at the Kansas Highway Patrol are vacant. Election day for Pittsburg half cent sales tax is Tuesday April 11. For 89 9 KRPS News, I’m Fred Fletcher-Fierro
Link to Pittsburg, KS City Commission Meeting 2/14/2023 Public Safety Sales Tax discussion starts around 59:09
