TKC Breaking News: Lawsuit Demands Platte County Implement Children's Services Tax

Remember . . .

The Platte County Commish recently overruled this tax effort approved by voters. 

And now . . .

THANKS TO AWESOME INSIDERS FOR SHARING THE BEHIND THE SCENES POLITICS OF THIS POWER MOVE!!!

We wanted to share this one early and we're posting a shorter version that's fair play and mostly political.

There's more this story but this first passage was important and worth passing along quickly . . .  

Is Northland Strong Fighting the County Commission

Today the Platte County Commission and State Department of Revenue were served demanding that a 1/4 cent sales tax for children's mental health services be imposed starting April 1.

TKC readers remember the story how under the state statute which gives them the final authority to impose the tax, the Commission passed an order saying there would be no new taxes.

In the filing, you can see Missouri super attorney Charles Hatfield with Stinson filed this lawsuit on behalf of two Parkville residents hoping to impose this new tax.  According to his bio, Mr. Hatfield is "the preeminent government relations litigator in Missouri."  Hiring Mr. Hatfield comes at a very high hourly rate that most normal people can't afford.

The real question is who is funding Stinson's law bills and is it really two regular joes who live in average suburban houses in Parkville?  The gofundme for suing the county only raised $5,275.

Some are speculating that Northland super donors with the Northland Strong PAC are supportive of more taxes in Platte County. The PAC got a generous $20,000 donation on the last day of 2024 when there's no election coming up in 2025 that the PAC would seem to be interested in.  It raises questions of what that money is being used for.

Why would Northland Strong PAC want more taxes?  Well looking at the PAC's campaign reports, the PAC is heavy with development and construction companies ie the usual suspects in the Northland that get a lot of TIF projects approved.  Higher taxes means larger TIF payments.  Does this group care about tax rates or are they looking to force Platte County's tax rate over 10% so there's more TIF money to subsidize developers?

The Northland Strong group is also big into the county's economic development council which the county stopped funding years ago.  Is Northland Strong interested in this lawsuit to stick it to the County Commission?  Someone should be asking these questions.

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Update . . .

This just in from another politico . . . Which means we take it with a grain of salt even if it deserves a say: 

"Northland Strong has not given any money to the CSF campaign.  Zero Dollars." 

Developing . . .