Anonymous texts get some details wrong on $60 million Liberty ballot issue. What to know

With just over a week left until the April 2 municipal elections around Missouri, residents of Liberty are receiving text messages opposing the city’s forthcoming ballot initiative.

The ballot question asks voters to approve $60 million in bonds for a new activity center and improvements to the city’s community center. If approved, the city states that property taxes would rise by around 5.5% to pay for the projects.

The text messages, which purport to be sent by a group called the “Taxpayer Protection Fund,” oppose the developments and their associated tax increase.

The graphic sent to voters via text reads, “Warning: Your property taxes may soon increase due to a newly proposed taxpayer-funded business.”

An accompanying text message continues: “Our property taxes are already too high! The city wants taxpayers to pass a 5.5% property tax increase to fund new rec and fitness centers, but we have enough options already. We need relief, not more taxes.”

It then encourages voters to vote “No” on the initiative next week.

The anonymous texts have been stirring conversation in Liberty, but contain a few inaccuracies about the city’s ballot question. Here’s what voters need to know before they weigh in on April 2.

What does Liberty’s ballot question ask?

Liberty’s ballot question proposes $60 million in municipal bonds to pay for two projects within the Parks & Recreation department.

The first project, estimated to cost $50 million, would involve constructing a new activity center featuring at least eight indoor courts for team sports, an indoor turf field and a fitness center.

The second, costing around $10 million, would fund improvements to the city’s existing community center, including adding outdoor aquatic features like water slides, converting the center’s current basketball court into workout spaces and improving facilities like locker rooms and meeting rooms.

Both facilities would charge membership fees to adults, with a discounted rate for Liberty residents and seniors. They would also continue an ongoing agreement with Liberty Public Schools to support recreational leagues for kids.

The city states that the new building and upgrades to the existing one are necessary due to the growing demand for athletic facilities in the city .

“If voters do not approve the issuance of bonds and as pressure for gym space throughout the community increases, Liberty Parks & Rec may need to cap participation in youth basketball and volleyball,” the city stated on its FAQ page about the ballot question. “We will also be unable to offer any additional indoor youth or adult sports programming due to a lack of space.”

Is the language in these text messages accurate?

The text message appearing in Liberty residents’ inboxes contain some misleading information about the ballot question. Here’s what to know:

1. The graphic describes the new activity center as a “taxpayer-funded business.” While the new building will charge membership fees, it will be owned and operated by the city’s Parks and Recreation department. It will not be privately owned or turn a profit for investors, Liberty Parks & Recreation Director BJ Staab told the Star.

That makes the “business” label inaccurate.

2. The text message states that Liberty’s ballot question asks voters to “pass a 5.5% property tax increase.” It’s true that if the initiative succeeds, the city estimates that property taxes will rise by around 5.5%. However, voters will not directly weigh in on changes to the city’s property tax rates or the amounts charged to property owners, but simply on whether they wish to approve the municipal bonds to fund the two projects.

The ballot question specifies that a debt levy, repaid through property taxes, will fund the bonds.

“For transparency, we did want residents to know how it’s going to be paid back,” Staab said.

Who is sending the text messages about Liberty’s ballot question?

The graphic texted to many Liberty residents claims to be paid for by a group called the Taxpayer Protection Fund. Here’s the problem: no such group is registered in the state of Missouri or with the federal government as a corporation, nonprofit, lobbyist group or political action committee.

The Missouri Ethics Commission, which tracks campaign finance disclosures and registers lobbyist groups in the state, has no record of a group existing under this name. It’s possible that the group is a very small, unregistered organization or even a single person simply sending text messages to Liberty residents to express their opposition to the ballot measure.

The phone number from which one reader received the text message gives a busy signal when called, is not listed in several online databases and has not responded to a text message from The Star.

Do you have information about the Taxpayer Protection Fund or further questions about the upcoming April 2 election? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.