8/4/05

OLATHE, KS -- Johnson County grassroots members of Americans for Prosperity today said that county government spending has spiraled out of control and that the answer is a local Taxpayer's Bill of Rights.

AFP's Johnson County Team Leader Christy Andruss was joined by State Director Alan Cobb at a news conference in Olathe today to tout the benefits of a local Taxpayer's Bill of Rights. Andruss and Cobb pointed out that Johnson County 's spending increased an incredible 13.2 percent this year and approximately 81 percent since 1997 -- far exceeding the inflation rate and population growth to which a Taxpayer's Bill of Rights would limit spending increases.

"If a Taxpayer's Bill of Rights had been in effect in 1997, Johnson County government would have spent $344 million fewer taxpayer dollars over the past years," Andruss said. "That's a lot of money that the taxpayers could be putting to much better use creating jobs and providing for our families. The hard-working taxpayers of Johnson County deserve a Taxpayer's Bill of Rights."

Under a Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, spending and debt could not grow faster than the rate of annual population growth plus inflation. Surplus revenue received above this amount would accrue in budget stabilization and emergency funds, and a portion would be returned to taxpayers. Spending above the amount of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights limit would require voter approval.

Americans for Prosperity also supports a Taxpayer's Bill of Rights at the state level. Last year, the Americans for Prosperity Foundation conducted a study showing that Kansas taxpayers have been denied at least $1.1 billion in tax relief since 1992 due to the lack of a Taxpayer's Bill of Rights amendment.

The report, "A Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) for Kansas," also showed that the state, which has experienced a serious budget crisis in recent years, would have amassed $1.4 billion in "Rainy Day" funds had a Taxpayer's Bill of Rights been in effect. The report was written by University of Colorado professor Dr. Barry Poulson, the nation's leading expert on the issue.

Click here to download spending statistics from Johnson County.