Topeka’s governing body, which two years ago authorized a 1 percent extra sales tax upon purchases made at downtown Topeka’s Cyrus Hotel, on Tuesday will consider raising that to 2 percent.
A proposal to make that move is among items on the agenda when that body, consisting of the nine city council members and Mayor Michelle De La Isla, meets at 6 p.m. in its chambers at 214 S.E. 8th. The city’s governing body plans to hear public comments and consider raising the special sales tax imposed to aid development of the $30 million Cyrus Hotel and restaurant property, which remains under construction at 912-924 S. Kansas Ave.
That body voted in September 2016 to establish a community improvement district enabling Cody Foster’s AIM Strategies LLC to assess a 1 percent sales tax on all purchases made on the property to reimburse private investment in the development. That tax is to be assessed in addition to other sales taxes levied in Shawnee County.
Assistant city manager Doug Gerber told city governing body members last month that the developers initially pitched a 2 percent tax, but officials didn’t feel comfortable with that at the time.
“The general sense now is 2 percent is appropriate for larger projects,” he said.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)