Kansas City, Kan., voters easily renew public safety and neighborhood sales tax

Kansas City, Kan., voters on Tuesday opted to renew a 3/8-cent sales tax to fund public safety and neighborhood infrastructure for another 10 years.

With all precincts counted, renewal of the tax was won 61 percent to 39 percent.

The sales tax generates $10 million from retail purchases within KCK. Of that $10 million, $7 million is split evenly between the Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department and the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department.

“I am very grateful to the citizens who got out the vote and expressed confidence that these revenues will be well used to always serve their needs and improve the quality of life for the citizens,” said David Alvey, mayor of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kan.

The Unified Government said the sales tax accounts for 25 firefighter positions and 25 police officers. It also pays for new firetrucks, police cars and other equipment to serve the two departments.

Voters in KCK approved the tax in 2010 with 70 percent of the vote. The tax had been set to expire in 2020.

UG officials had warned voters before the election that dispensing with the sales tax would mean $10 million vanishing from the budget and that it would consider increasing property taxes to fill that hole.

The UG has been praising itself in recent years for incrementally reducing the city property tax rate, which is easily the highest in the metro area.

This story was originally published August 7, 2018 at 9:47 PM.