KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Jackson County prosecuting attorney on Tuesday issued criminal subpoenas demanding records tied to the Community-Backed Antidrug Tax.
COMBAT, the ¼-cent tax in Jackson County, brings in millions of dollars each year. The money is used to fight drugs on many levels. When voters renewed the tax last summer, it was praised as a great use of taxpayer money. But now, there may be two separate investigations launched into COMBAT, KMBC's Micheal Mahoney reported.
On Tuesday, Prosecutor Mike Sanders and some law enforcement officers raised questions about the tax.
"You're looking at DARE officers being laid off, law enforcement officers being laid off, prevention agencies having to lay off employees -- that's a great time to ask for an audit," Sanders said.
Sanders is pushing for an independent audit of the tax, and he may ask for help from the U.S. Attorney's office, Mahoney reported.
Each year, the tax brings in more than $19 million -- sometimes more. But this year, the budget estimate is less than last year, and Sheriff Tom Green wants to know why.
"It seems to me, with the growth of Jackson County -- both eastern and somewhat in the southern sections of the county -- I don't see where there'd be a declining sales revenue," Green said.
But Katheryn Shields, the Jackson County executive, said that isn't the case. She claims tax revenue has declined and says the group will have to go through the Jackson County Legislature to get an audit.
Shields also said she has appointed a panel to look into the structure of the COMBAT Commission, the seven-member body appointed by her office to oversee the tax.
"Like anything else, you can look at whether it needs to be fine-tuned or not, and really, nobody should be threatened by that," Shields said.
COMBAT has been in place since 1989.
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Prosecutor Wants COMBAT Tax Audited
