From an Ole Seagull’s perspective, the answers to most of the following questions should be of interest to many of the citizens and businesses of Branson and Taney County for what he believes are obvious reasons. But then, what does an Ole Seagull know?
1. Has the Branson Landing TIF raised enough revenue so that, on an annual basis, year to year, it can pay off its debt service for each of the years it has been open?
2. Is there a TIF funded reserve fund set aside for such payments?
3. If the answer to 2 is “Yes” 3-5 become pertinent if not skip down to 6. How is it funded?
4. What is the current balance of that fund and is there any danger of it running out in the near future?
5. If that fund has ever been used in full or in part to pay on the Branson Landing TIF debt because the TIF receipts were not sufficient, how much and when?
6. If the TIF receipts and the TIF reserve account, if in existence, aren’t enough to pay the debt service is there any possibility that the residents and businesses of Branson could have to pay it either directly or through a loss of services?
7. If the answer to 6 is “Yes” what specific revenue streams of the city are impacted first and how does it eventually flow through to the individual citizen or business?
8. Where is the specific consideration in the potentially $60 million dollar contract the city has with the Branson Airport?
9. Could the recent action of the Branson Board of Aldermen involving payments under Branson Airport Contract influence future legal actions or negotiations involving that contract.
10. Should the word “honor” be used in connection with anything involving the Branson Airport Contract from its inception to the boards recent action involving it?
11. Does the legislation authorizing the city of Branson to impose its city tourism tax permit the use of 75 percent of the tax authorized for infrastructure for the operation of such infrastructure as well as its construction?
12. How many water meters are there in the city of Branson?
13. What is the annual total of the funds, beside debt service, being paid to Branson Landing for maintenance, net operating loss at the Convention Center and the Branson Airport Contract etc.?
14. In addition to the increase in water bills that has been taking place over the last three year for Branson citizens and businesses it may still have to go higher because of what?
15. The average job created by the Branson Landing and Branson Hills TIFF actually pays how much per year?
16. The Federal Poverty Level for a family of two adults and two children is?
17. Is there actually a behind the scenes movement that encourages Branson tourism related businesses not to register with the state and pay the appropriate taxes on the sale of show and attraction tickets that the Missouri Supreme Court says the law requires them to pay?
18. Exactly what is the city of Branson’s position on that issue and what is it doing to insure that every penny it is owed in sales and tourism tax is collected and used for the benefit of the citizens and businesses of Branson?
19. Will the recent layoff of Taney County Road and Bridge personnel impact on the condition and safety of Taney County roads and bridges?
20 What other options or plans were seriously considered before they were laid off?
21. Is there a priority list of county services that would indicate those services that are more essential than others?
22. If not why not?
23. How much did Taney County spend fighting the Tax Assessor issue with the state?
24. Where did the millions of dollars that Taney County had committed to the building of the Taneycomo Bridge go when they didn’t have to spend it because Federal Stimulus money was used for the project instead?
25. Has there been any discussion of collecting a real estate property tax from the residents of Taney County for the purposes of running county government?
Whoops, missed one.
26. Does anyone besides an Ole Seagull really care?
