Aaron Larson has had his time under the KVOE News Candidate Spotlight.
Larson, the chief financial officer at Midwest Evaluation and Research, spoke with KVOE News about several general topics. He says the increased costs of home and infrastructure maintenance are among the reasons property taxes are so high. Another reason, he sees, is urban sprawl.
Larson believes a possible new sales tax, perhaps up to half a percent, would have to be targeted for him to consider it. However, he says a new sales tax could be focused on one segment of economic development.
Overall economic development is in the headlines on a regular basis, and especially so over the last year as the Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas works slowly towards a permanent president. Larson served on a task force that ultimately led to the Vision First study that recommended a restructuring of the board, which in turn led to expanded voting membership and new voting members. He says that was a good call. As to another recommendation, having an economic development umbrella agency, Larson says that’s a good general direction.
When it comes to housing, Larson says there needs to be conversations about who is having trouble affording homes — but there are other conversations that need to happen.
*Click here for the KVOE.com Candidate Spotlight page featuring interviews with all City Commission candidates
*Click here for the KVOE News Voter Information Guide courtesy of Community National Bank.
