More groups announce support for proposed sales tax

Eight more organizations announced their support for the 1-cent-on-the-dollar sales tax Thursday during a news conference for Yes Wichita, a group in favor of the tax.

The organizations include the Friends of the Wichita Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge No. 5 PAC; International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers-District 70; League of Women Voters; Wichita Area Association of Realtors; Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 513; Business Leadership Network; Wichita Fire Fighters Local 135; and the Building and Trades Council for South Central and Western Kansas.

The sales tax would collect nearly $400 million over five years to go toward a new water supply ($250 million), street maintenance ($27.8 million), transit ($39.8 million) and job development ($80 million).

“Any time you get a situation where you can take your tax money and spend it on your own city, it pays back to the community,” said Roger King, who represented the Building and Trades Council and is business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers No. 271.

Other organizations that have endorsed the tax include:

▪ Business Leadership Network

▪ Episcopal Social Services

▪ Go Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau

▪ Nonprofit Chamber of Services

▪ Plumbers and Pipefitters Union, Local 513

▪ Wichita Downtown Development Corp.

▪ Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce

▪ Wichita/Sedgwick County Access Advisory Board

▪ Young Professionals of Wichita

This story was originally published October 16, 2014 at 1:15 PM with the headline "More groups announce support for proposed sales tax."