MISSION, Kan. (AP) Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt has criticized a so-called “driveway tax” adopted by a Johnson County community that ties collections to how much traffic a specific property generates.
The Kansas City suburb of Mission adopted what it calls a “transportation utility fee” in 2010 to raise revenue for road repairs. It’s based on the number of vehicles coming and going from a property, including homes and businesses.
Schmidt issued a non-binding advisory opinion last week at the request of a state lawmaker. The attorney general concluded the fee amounts to an excise tax that he says the city is clearly barred from imposing under Kansas law.
The National Federation of Independent Business said Monday it hopes the opinion would discourage other cities from following Mission’s lead.
