Katrina E. Williams
Northeast News
On Tuesday, April 3, voters went to the polls to voice their opinions in a municipal election. The primary issue facing Kansas City voters was Question 1, wherein the city asked citizens to extend the one-cent capital improvements sales tax for an additional 20 years. Prior to April 3rd, the sales tax had been in place for more than a decade.
By the time the results were tallied, Question 1 passed with roughly 79% of citizens voting yes for the proposal. Ultimately, less than 30,000 votes were cast in the election. For comparison’s sake, more than 65,000 votes were cast in the November 2017 election to approve a new single terminal at Kansas City International airport.
The funds accrued by the sales tax are used to support projects approved by the Public Improvements Advisory Committee (PIAC) process, such as infrastructure improvements, maintenance and neighborhood conservation throughout the city’s six Council districts. In addition, roughly $5 million annually will be allocated to cover the rebuilding costs of the Buck O’Neil Bridge. PIAC is a citizen-driven program wherein residents are welcomed to submit requests for projects within their own neighborhoods.
For further information regarding Question 1, voters can visit http://kcmo.gov/vote/.