The current Kent City Council is loaded with pro-business/anti-homeowner members. Councilmembers Ralph, Albertson, Thomas, Boyce, and Council President Dennis Higgins consistently vote in ways that favor businesses and burden homeowners.
Kent's B&O tax is bad for business. As a business owner in Kent I have heard from many of our customers, who are business owners themselves, comment on Kent's B&O tax.
Should property owners along Southeast 256th help pay for street improvements?
The recent article "Kent City Council searches for 256th Street funding options" (published May 10) is one-sided with no attempt to report the opinions of the tax-paying citizens that would be burdened with this unfair Local Improvement District (LID) assessment.
The Kent City Council needs a class on Civics 101. When the property owners near 256th got together, following the council's rules, and submitted the required number of signatures (for the umpteenth time) to stop the Local Improvement District (LID) assessment, the council didn't like it and decided that the rules don't apply because they want to assess these few property owners with the burden of paying for that street's improvement.
Again, the administration is trying to combine the Cedar Valley Elementary Support Center to become K-6 due to low enrollment. This is a disappointing decision to make for our students with special needs.
In the April 26 edition of the Best of Kent 2013, the following were not properly identified: physician, winner – Bob Smithing, MSN, ARNP, FAANP, FamilyCare of Kent; and finalist – Kathy Kleiver, MSN, ARNP, FamilyCare of Kent.
The staff, students and families of Sunnycrest Elementary School would like to thank the owners and staff of El Rinconsito, and Tortas Locas for your delicious donations of food for our recent Literacy and Culture night.
I read with interest Sandra Gill's letter to the editor regarding road-repair funding for the SE 256th Street project.
The United States has a national "do not call" site where people can register their address and phone number so that they do not have to be harassed by intrusive callers wishing us to buy whatever they are selling.
"We the People" have said before, "No, state income tax." All taxes tax all the people.
March 11-15 was classified employee appreciation week for public schools. I made a public statement at the school board meeting on the 13th that many people have said is something the public needs to hear as well.
During the March 5 City Council meeting, Councilmember Jamie Perry asked the question that I have been posing – in one way or the other – in letters to the editor. The question she asked during the discussion of alternate sources of funding for the 256th project, was (paraphrasing here): "What list dictates what projects would be funded using business and occupation (B&O) tax revenues? I didn't vote for any list regarding the allocation of B&O tax revenues for specific street and road projects."
I am encouraged to see more communication between all who have a concern and a common interest in our finding a workable solution: both downtown Kent business communities, the City Council, staff and officials, our church community and other citizens regarding the issue of homelessness.
State Reps. Chris Hurst and Cathy Dahlquist (guest editorial, "Citizens' voicespoke loud and clear on tax questions," Reporter, March 8) seem to believe that the state Supreme Court should have ruled that the two-thirds majority for tax increases is valid, despite the fact that it violates the state constitution.
Thank you, Mr. Bremner, for providing statistics on the road materials and conditions that contribute to the major ongoing damage caused by the thousands of trucks that use Kent's streets and roads. Let me add a friendly correction regarding the Kent valley's trucking volume: the Kent valley houses the fourth-largest manufacturing business complex in the nation, not the state.
The Kent Chamber of Commerce disapproves of the use of business and occupation (B&O) tax revenue to pay for a portion of the maintenance and improvements to Southeast 256th Street on the East Hill.
While reading the article about civility laws to deal with the issues of homelessness, I was dismayed by the seeming lack of civility expressed toward this issue.
Before the city enacts "civility laws" to control homeless behavior, the mayor and council might consider installing portable toilets in discrete locations near the library and in other park areas. Putting people in jail for relieving themselves in public is a complicated legal proposition – further clogging up courts and jails.
On behalf of the Kent Senior Activity Center's evening dancers, I would like to thank the Kings of Swing 17 piece big band for volunteering to perform during the Tuesday evening dance program for the past several years.
