For years, a controversial sales tax incentive in Kansas has been billed as a way to build transformational tourist destinations that draw visitors from across the region. Kansas STAR Bonds have helped to build well-known attractions like the Kansas Speedway and Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. But state leaders have often over-promised and under-delivered on STAR Bonds projects, allowing the bonds to fund more mundane uses like adding new turf to soccer fields or creating shopping centers. The program is now at risk because of its reliance on local taxpayers to pay off project debts.
Source: Kansas City Star
