By a narrow margin, Overland Park voters OK raising sales tax for road construction
By a relatively slim margin, Overland Park voters agreed to raise the city’s sales tax to fund road construction and repair work, extra money that officials say will help slow the use of the controversial chip seal method to resurface streets.
In a mail-in election that concluded Thursday, 53.4%, or 19,157 voters, agreed to raise the tax, while 46.6%, or 16,703, voted no. The city saw nearly 25% voter turnout, with 35,897 people casting ballots.
The infrastructure sales tax will jump from one-eighth of a cent to three-eighths. The tax will last for 10 years, starting next April.
The lower tax had been in place for 25 years and has since been approved three more times by much wider margins than this month’s vote. In 2013, 72% of voters renewed it, and 75% did so in 2008.
The sales tax will go toward improving streets as well as repairing or replacing curbs, gutters, sidewalks, streetlights and storm sewers. One of the main priorities is reconstructing streets in the older, northern part of the city.
“Streets, sidewalks and better traffic management are issues residents feel strongly about,” Mayor Curt Skoog said in a statement. “We want to thank the community for its support and trust in continuing to make Overland Park a wonderful place to live, work and visit.”
Officials recommended the tax increase after a resident advisory committee studied the city’s infrastructure and found that about 170 miles of street need repair. The group said the city should spend another $28.5 million for the work each year.
The city expects to generate $24 million a year with the higher sales tax. Officials are debating a flat property tax rate that could help fund the rest.
By focusing more on street reconstruction and traditional asphalt replacement, officials have committed to slowing down the use of chip seal, a cheaper process where heated liquid asphalt is sprayed on the road, followed by crushed gravel “chips” that stick to the surface. Loose gravel is then swept off the road.
Many homeowners have called on the city to stop relying on the method, saying that the rocks and “black tar” get dislodged and damage cars. With the sales tax approved, the city says there will be an immediate 18% reduction in the use of chip seal.
The city’s public works committee is discussing whether to require new residential streets be built with concrete. With that requirement, combined with the higher sales tax, the city could see a 41% reduction in the use of chip seal over the next 20 years, city spokeswoman Meg Ralph previously said.
Residents and some City Council members were split on whether to support the tax increase. Those in favor said it’s time that Overland Park put more money into repairing aging infrastructure, especially in older areas of the city. And many are happy to hear they can expect to start seeing less chip seal over time.
But others argued that the city’s plan doesn’t get rid of chip seal fast enough and that the city could find other ways to pay for more road work. And some opponents were skeptical that they’d see the improvements they feel their neighborhoods really need.
Some of the city’s highest priorities with the sales tax funding include:
▪ Neighborhood street reconstruction, including new curbs, storm sewers, sidewalks and streetlights at Wycliff, southwest of 103rd Street and Antioch, and at Westbrooke South and Moody Hills, east of Switzer Road, between 91st and 95th streets.
▪ Street safety and accessibility improvements, including new turn lanes, medians, sidewalks and traffic lights at: 103rd Street and Antioch, 77th Street and Metcalf Avenue, 82nd Street at Metcalf, College Boulevard and Metcalf, and Metcalf from 83rd Street to the 87th Street pedestrian trail.
▪ Bridge repairs and reconstruction over Indian Creek at 109th Street, 103rd Street and College Boulevard.
▪ Capacity and safety improvements at: 167th Street, Antioch to Metcalf; Quivira Road, 179th to 187th streets; Switzer Road, 167th to 179th; Mission Road, Bell Drive to 159th; Pflumm Road, 175th to 183rd; and State Line Road, 175th to 195th.
