VOTE YES:
Retain operations of Valley Center Fire Department with the City. Paid via property tax + sales tax.
VOTE NO:
Join Sedgwick County Fire District 1 (SCFD1). Paid via property tax mill levy.
BACKGROUND & PURPOSE:
For firefighter and citizen safety, Valley Center fire services is attempting to transition from a 12-hour fi re department (current operations) to a 24/7 fire department. To mitigate this impact on property taxes, the City of Valley Center has placed a special question on the November 3rd Election Ballot to pass a new 1% “Public Safety Services” Sales Tax to provide an additional funding option to pay a portion of these increased costs.
BALLOT QUESTION:
Shall the City of Valley Center, Kansas, be authorized to impose a one percent (1%) Citywide retailers’ sales tax, the revenue from which will be used to enhance public safety services, including fi re and police operations, capital improvements, equipment, and maintenance within the City and all improvements related thereto (“Public Safety Purposes”), including payment of debt service on financings issued for Public Safety Purposes, with the collection of such sales tax to commence on April 1, 2027, or as soon thereafter as permitted by law, and continue in effect until it is repealed by the Governing Body; all pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 12-187 et seq., as amended?
COMPARABLE SALES TAX DATA:
The city already has a 1% sales tax approved by voters to pay for the Valley Center Recreation Facility bond payment until 2036. If this new Public Safety Services (PSS) Sales Tax passes, the sales tax rate for Valley Center would be 9.5% (6.5% - State, 1% County, 1% City (Rec), and a new 1% City (Public Safety)).
NO END DATE:
The proposed sales tax would not have an automatic end date. Unlike a bond payment which has a payoff date, this PSS Sales Tax would continue to be collected on all applicable retail sales in the City of Valley Center to help offset the new permanent
operational costs of operating a 24/7 fi re station and enhanced public safety. The PSS Sales Tax can later be stopped with the passing of a resolution from the Valley Center City Council. However, to maintain public safety services, if the sales tax does not
generate as expected or it stops being collected, the city would have to increase property taxes to make up the full amount lost in sales tax revenue to continue public safety operations.
ISO RATINGS:
ISO ratings can impact the cost of your property insurance. VCFD currently has an ISO of 4. SCFD1 has an ISO of 2. The lower the rating the better savings on insurance policies. However, there are many variables that apply to setting an ISO rate and how your insurance company uses it. It is recommended that you call your insurance agent to determine how your vote could impact your property insurance premiums.
VOTING DETAILS:
This decision requires a legal vote of the public to pass a sales tax and therefore, is in the hands of the voters.
The General Election will be November 3, 2026 for more details on voting locations:
https://www.valleycenterks.gov/news_detail_T9_R16.php