KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.
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In its 200-year history, the city of Independence has never had a General Obligation Bond on the ballot. That could change this April.
The city is preparing to ask voters to approve the GO Bond, which totals around $197 million.
Split into three issues, voters will be asked separately to approve funding for a new justice center, road and sidewalk improvements, and historical spaces.
“Maintenance has been piecemeal, so we've done a little bit here and there as we can kind of cram it into the general needs of the city. That also means that you aren't making big decisions about buildings. You aren't making big decisions about roads and sidewalks,” said council member Dr. Bridget McCandless. “As everybody knows, the costs of those things have skyrocketed. So it takes a bigger investment to do the things you need to do. That's why you have to borrow money to do it over the long term.”
The city is holding a public meeting Monday night for residents to learn more. The meeting will be inside the council chambers at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast and live-streamed by the city.
“On Monday, we're going to go through, why did you pick this and not that? How did you come to your numbers? You know? Why? $15 million for bridges? What will that do?" McCandless said. "And also, what choices didn't you make? And how could that play out in the future? I really want people to come away with a tangible sense of what this is going to do for the community."
The new justice center is the biggest ask. McCandless said the current police building is 50 years old and in need of a lot of maintenance.
On top of that, the municipal courts are in a separate building in the basement of city hall, and she said it isn’t safe to transport people back and forth in the parking lot.
“It has water issues, it has plumbing issues, and our folks don't fit in it. It was built in 1972," McCandless said. "We have added lots of positions since then, so our police are doubled and tripled up. We can't put our teams together so they can work as good units."
If approved by voters, the new center would be at the Utilities Building at 23rd and R.D. Mize.
The GO Bond would be paid back through a levy or property taxes.
McCandless said people's taxes would increase slowly over time depending on what someone’s house is valued at.
