Find all the The Kansas City Star’s endorsements for the April 8 election right here | Opinion

Here is a summary of our recommendations in the April 8 election. For more information, see all our published endorsements on our Elections Recommendations page.

We have created abbreviated printable versions of our recommendations to take into the ballot box with you (which is legal). Download a single page here, or a smaller version to print on two half-pages here.

MUNICIPAL BOND ISSUES, TAXES

KC ballot Question 1: New jail

Our endorsement in favor of the renewal of the public safety sales tax that would fund construction of a 250-bed rehabilitation and detention center for Kansas City — which does not have any jail now, or even a single local, operative cell to which a Kansas Citian in municipal custody can be sent — was a unanimous decision.

That’s not to say that this was an easy choice. There is a lot of misinformation out there about what the proposed facility next to the Jackson County Detention Center along U.S. Highway 40 would do and be. And there is passionate opposition from good people, many of them our frequent allies.

But what Kansas City is doing now is not working on any level. And we are convinced that a no vote would only continue the harms, not least to people who are in the legal system.

KC ballot Question 2: Sell parkland to charity

Under most circumstances, we are skeptical of any plan to sell park property, or turn it over to private firms. Parks are that important. Occasionally, though, a thoughtful plan emerges that helps support an important community service while protecting the public’s interest in quality parks. Question 2 on the April 8 Kansas City ballot is just such a plan. If passed, it would allow the sale of Longfellow Park, near Children’s Mercy Hospital, to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City, for construction of additional charity housing space on the property. We recommend a yes vote.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities runs homes and provides services for parents and relatives of sick children. One of the group’s homes is located in Longfellow Park, where it provides 41 essential beds for clients. But the house is so crowded that 700 families were turned away last year, officials said. So the charity wants to expand its house in Longfellow Park, adding 40 beds to address the shortfall.

Kansas City school district bond

On April 8, voters in the Kansas City Public School District will decide whether the district should borrow $474 million over two decades to repair and improve dozens of school buildings across the community. The answer should be an emphatic yes. The reason is simple: Public education is a basic service, no different from police protection or street maintenance. A world-class city must provide a quality education for its children, and that includes buildings with safe, comfortable environments in which to learn. Make no mistake: A community that ponders billions in tax support for stadiums, or wants to build a park over a highway, must invest in its kids first. The $474 million bond issue on the ballot, which will require a four-sevenths majority to pass, is just such an investment.

Independence GO bonds

Independence is nearly 200 years old and has never asked its residents to approve a general obligation bond for capital improvement projects, at least until now.

General obligation bonds, commonly known as GO bonds, are used to fund projects such as the construction of public buildings, parks or roads. Voters will be asked to approve three separate measures totaling $197 million. The following questions are on the municipal ballot:

• Question 1: A $130 million public safety bond for a new justice center and regional animal shelter.
• Question 2: A $55 million bond for improved roads, bridges and sidewalks.
• Question 3: A $12 million bond for improvement at historic sites in the city and at the Independence Athletic Complex.

Voters could approve any or all three of these proposals. If all three initiatives were approved, property taxes would increase to $19.57 per month for a home in Independence valued at $150,800. The increases would not be immediate but phased in over time, city officials have said. Because safe roads and bridges and a state-of-the-art criminal justice center are vital to all Independence residents, we recommend a yes vote on each question.

Lee’s Summit bond issue

Voters are asked to approve a $225 million no-tax-rate-increase bond issue. We strongly recommend a yes vote. If approved, the district’s debt service property tax levy is estimated to remain unchanged at $0.87 per $100 of assessed valuation of real and personal property, the district website states. Whether voters approve the measure or not, the current tax rate would remain the same for the next 10 years, district officials have said. In December, the seven-member Lee’s Summit school board voted unanimously to place the issue on the ballot. And there seems to be a consensus among the Lee’s Summit business community in favor of the bond. Last month, the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce announced it passed a resolution supporting the initiative.

North KC, Park Hill, Platte County school bonds

Three Missouri school districts — North Kansas City, Park Hill, and Platte County R-III — deserve voters’ particular attention. We recommend a yes vote on their ballot questions. Remember: Bonds for bond issues and construction require a 57.1 percent majority to pass. That means every yes vote is critical to passing these measures.

North Kansas City schools: The growth in the North Kansas City District is astonishing. Roughly 21,000 students now attend classes in this sprawling district, making it one of the largest in Missouri. The current board is asking voters to endorse a $175 million bond package. The money would help build performing arts facilities at Oak Park and Winnetonka High Schools. It would also provide funds for major renovations at New Mark and Northgate middle schools in the district.

Park Hill schools: Proposition G would provide funds for teacher and staff salaries. Proposition O would allow borrowing for $128 million in school improvement projects. Both would raise taxes.

Proposition G would raise about $6 million annually for teacher salaries and recruitment.

Proposition O would allow issuance of $128 million in bonds for school projects. The funds would be used to begin the process of building a new Park Hill High School, as well as security improvements and additions at several elementary schools.

Platte County schools: The district’s bond proposal includes construction required to consolidate teaching functions at Platte County High School. The funds would also allow improvements to playground facilities and expand parking at an elementary school.

Liberty sales tax increase

Voters in Liberty will be asked on April 8 to raise the city’s sales tax by one cent per dollar for public safety projects. We recommend a yes vote on the proposal. We do so with some reluctance. A 1% sales tax is serious money: If a family spends $200 a week on groceries, the sales tax bill would go up more than $100 a year — before that family buys furniture, or clothing for school, or any other product subject to the local tax.

Nevertheless, public safety remains a concern for Liberty residents. The tax revenue would improve public safety services in the community, which is why voters should support it. The centerpiece of the proposal calls for expanding and renovating police headquarters, at a cost of $1.5 million a year for 20 years. The bulk of the tax, about $6 million annually, would pay for police and firefighter salary increases. Tax supporters say lower salaries for public safety positions have made it harder to find and retain recruits for those jobs.

SCHOOL DISTRICT RACES

Kansas City school district

Four school board races are on the April ballot. Three are contested. Here are the Star’s recommendations for those contests.

At-Large: Tanesha Ford

Ford is seeking a second four-year term on the school board. She has extensive experience in education and nonprofit organizations, including time as director of the Kauffman Scholars program. As incumbent, she has given voters no reason to deny her a second term on the board. She has helped make the schools better, and we believe she will continue that progress over the next four years.

Subdistrict 1: Rita Cortes

Cortes also is an incumbent, serving on the board since 2019. She is currently the chair of the school board, and is extraordinarily qualified for the job. She’s a lawyer, with a post-graduate degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She’s worked with schools and private health care organizations as well as the district. The next school board will face enormously difficult decisions. It will need steady, experienced leadership — and membership — to continue the district’s record of progress. Rita Cortes will provide that leadership, and we recommend a vote for her in Subdistrict 1.

Subdistrict 5: Brittany Foley

We narrowly recommend Brittany Foley for this seat. Foley has an interesting background. She works as a paralegal for the federal public defender’s office, working on capital crimes. She lives in south Kansas City and has a child in the district. She has been active in helping parents communicate with school leaders and the district. She told us many parents in her neighborhood were intimidated by school leadership, so problems would fester. Other candidates are good choices but in this race, we think Foley’s background and record make her the better choice.

Lee’s Summit school district

We endorse Michelle Dawson and Nicky Nickens.

Dawson is a stakeholder with children in the district and a unique perspective on what’s best for students. She recognizes that school boards should focus on educating school children from all walks of life, and eschew the partisan divide that has taken root out that way.

Nickens also is opposed to partisan issues dividing the board. She is a University of Central Missouri professor and has 26 years of experience in the educational field. We found her to be an excellent choice for the school board.

North Kansas City schools

Six active candidates are campaigning for two open seats on the North Kansas City School District Board. People who live in the district, with children or without, should continue a commitment to the schools. We think the best way to do that is to vote for Ayrn Peters and Carolyn Mason.

Peters is a former teacher, and a product of the NKC district. Three of her children are currently students in the district. She has the experience and the current-day knowledge of the challenges facing the district, one of the fastest-growing in the state with a student population that is not only growing, but that it is growing more diverse every semester. Half of its roughly 21,000 students are white; the rest are minority. A third of all students qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches.

Carolyn Mason is also a teaching veteran who still teaches on a substitute basis. She also understands and praises the district’s diversity. Schools in the south part of the district will correctly demand that funding and resources are spread evenly among the district’s attendance areas, regardless of family income. Mason takes the right approach to school library concerns, too, saying parents should their monitor their own children’s reading material.

MUNICIPAL RACE

Grandview mayor

The candidates on the Grandview ballot are incumbent Leonard D. Jones Jr and David Robinson. However, after much research, digging and scouring social media for a hint of any sort of campaign pledges or promises, we can safely say we know little about Robinson. On the campaign trail, there have been no public debates between the two candidates and there’s nothing to suggest that Robinson is a serious candidate for public office. Voicemail and text messages we left with Robinson were not returned nor was an email we sent.

We talked to Jones, who updated us on how the no-tax-increase $21 million bond package approved in 2022 was being used on City Hall and fleet upgrades along with street improvements. Because of Robinson’s unknown variable and Jones’ track record, we recommend Jones for Grandview mayor.

This story was originally published April 6, 2025 at 5:01 AM.