Taxes rise 30 percent to support Topeka airports
7:44 p.m. Tuesday, December 4, 2007
You’re forced to drive to Kansas City to catch a flight, yet your property taxes help pay for the operation of two airports in Topeka.
This year, $2 million of your tax money will be spent there. That equates to a nearly 30 percent jump in the mill levy, which has gone down or stayed the same the last eight years in a row.
There’s no commercial air service at Forbes Field or Billard airports. It’s where private flights take off and commercial businesses operate from.
What the law says
Read the text of the statute (27-333) that allows for this jump in taxes here.
A 1978 state law allows airports to charge you for any slack in the budget.
Michael Humberd, Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority president and airport manager, said the money will go into the general fund and hasn’t been slated for any special projects.
“What we are continuing to do and has been done over the last 20 years is you work on infrastructure and equipment,” said Humberd, who was hired in November, 2006.
Most large airports are supported by commercial airlines that pay big bucks to land there.
Topeka just lost Allegiant Air, which offered commercial service to Las Vegas. Humberd said that has nothing to do with why your taxes increased.
Humberd said taxes for the airports will likely stay high until Topeka brings back commercial service. He’s hopeful service to Denver will begin sometime next year.
The owner of a $100,000 home will pay about $15 tax to the airport authority this year.
Comments
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Dec. 4, 2007 at 9:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)bobgick (anonymous)
isn't anyone going to comment about this rip-off. I'm going to contact Boyda.
Dec. 5, 2007 at 8:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)bassman (anonymous)
Amazing isn't it?
Two airports and an Expo Center
Talk about "white elephants"
There is seriously something wrong here
Supporting one is bad enough but TWO is a bit to much
Meanwhile the rest of the infrastructure continues to decline, ie: the streets
Where does all this tax money go?
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