KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, voters will decide on April 6 whether to renew the 1% earnings tax, which is among the primary drivers for the city’s annual budget.
The income tax is levied on all residents and workers in the city.
The earnings tax, or “e-tax,” annually raises approximately $292.2 million, which the city uses “for a wide variety of city services.” The tax pays for road repairs; trash collection; police, firefighter, paramedic and ambulance service; snow removal; code enforcement; and historic preservation among other municipal needs.
The earnings tax provides nearly 17% of the city’s annual operating budget.
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“I’m proud to stand alongside civic, community, and labor leaders across Kansas City to support renewing the e-tax,” Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a statement. “Renewal will continue our progress on public safety, help us continue repairing our roads, and ensure we can deliver outstanding city services from the Northland to the East Side.”
The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas City chapter of the NAACP, Heavy Constructors Association of Greater Kansas City, the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, Jobs With Justice and the South Kansas City Chamber of Commerce along with numerous unions — International Association of Firefighters Local No .42, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 99 and the AFL-CIO — support renewal of the tax.
If renewed, the earning tax would remain in place for another five years before it would go before voters again.
Voters who live in Kansas City in Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte counties will decide the earnings tax’s fate.
More municipal tax issues
Other area jurisdictions will have tax questions to decide on at the polls as well.
Claycomo, Kearney and Raymore voters will decide whether to impose a use tax on online sales, which would be identical to and pegged to the city sales tax rate.
The rate for online purchases in Claycomo would be 2.25%. It would be 3% in Kearney and 2.5% in Raymore.
The city of Riverside in Platte County is asking voters to approve a half-percent sales tax increase for public safety.
Lee’s Summit voters will be asked to approve a 10-cent tax levy hike per $100 of assessed property valuation for the city’s general fund.
The Lee’s Summit City Council plans to offset the tax increase by reducing the general obligation debt service levy by a corresponding amount.
Meanwhile, Blue Springs will ask voters to renew a half-cent sales tax, which is set to expire on Sept. 30, 2022, for local parks funding.
Additionally, Oak Grove will ask voters to sign off on a 1-cent gas tax increase to pay for infrastructure needs.
The Central Jackson County Fire Protection District also is seeking two property tax increases.
Question 1 would allow for the issuance of $10 million in bonds to build, equip and furnish a new fire station as well as buy new fire trucks and emergency equipment.
Question 2 would raise the tax levy 30 cents per $100 of assessed value for maintenance and operation needs, including the hiring of new firefighters.
The Farley Benefit Assessment Special Road District in Platte County is asking voters for a 35-cent hike in its tax levy for the next four years.
The Pleasant Hill Fire Protection District is asking voters for a 15-cent hike in its operating tax levy “ for additional response staffing and (to) support other needs.”
Voters in Pleasant Hill also will decide whether to amend and repeal portions of the City Charter regarding special elections to fill mayoral and city council vacancies. A yes vote would allow a simple majority of the city council to appoint new members until the next general election.
Several cities also have upcoming mayoral elections:
- Belton Mayor Jeff Davis faces a four-way reelection fight in Cass County against Stephanie Jane Davidson, Norman K. Larkey Sr., and Art Ruiz;
- East Lynne voters in rural Cass County will choose between Brian Chamberlain and Joshua W. Pauley for mayor;
- Holt has a contested mayoral race in Clay County between Leon Clifford and Betty Garton;
- Incumbent Liberty Mayor Lyndell W. Brenton is in a three-way race with Darcel “Darshell” Smith and Damien Jones;
- Grandview will elect a mayor among incumbent Leonard D. Jones Jr., who is up for reelection against John D. Boyd Jr. and Kaele Byee;
- Lake Lotawana Mayor Tracy Rasmussen is up for reelection against challenger A. Howard Chamberlin;
- North Kansas City will elect a new mayor between Bryant DeLong and Jay P. Swearingen;
- Sugar Creek Mayor Michael Larson, the incumbent, is up for reelection against Geoffrey Jay.
There also are several other contested seats on local boards of alderman and other municipal boards in Jackson County:
- Buckner has one contested race for Alderman-Ward 2;
- Grain Valley has three contested alderman races;
- Grandview and has two contested alderman races;
- Lake Tapawingo has a contested race for Alderman-Ward 1;
- Raytown has two contested alderman races;
- Sugar Creek also has two contested alderman races.
Cass County sample ballots can be found on the County Clerk/election Authority website:
- Archie has a contested race for the city council’s East Ward;
- Belton has four contested city council ward races;
- Cass Regional Medical Center has a contested trustee race;
- Drexel has a contested alderman race;
- Garden City has a contested West Ward Alderman race;
- Loch Lloyd has a contested board of trustees race;
- Peculiar has three contested alderman races;
- Pleasant Hill City Council has two contested races;
- Pleasant Hill Fire Protection District;
- Raymore has two contested council races;
- South Metro Fire Protection District has a contested director’s race.
Clay County sample ballots can be found on the Board of Elections website:
- Avondale has a contested alderman race;
- Birmingham has a contested trustee race;
- Claycomo has a contested trustee race;
- Excelsior Springs has a contested city council race;
- Gladstone has a contested city council race;
- Holt has a contested alderman race;
- Kearney has a contested alderman race;
- Lawson Community Fire Protection District has a contested race for director;
- Liberty has a contested Ward 2 council race;
- Liberty also has contested races for constable, clerk and treasurer;
- The Liberty Hospital District has a contested race for trustee;
- North Kansas City has four contested city council races;
- Oaks has a contested board of trustees election;
- Oakwood has a contested board of trustees election;
- Oakwood Park has two contested board of trustees elections;
- Pleasant Hill has a contested alderman election.
Platte County sample ballots can be found on the Platte County Board of Elections website:
- Dearborn has a contested alderman race;
- Edgerton has two contested alderman races;
- Houston Lake will ask voters to extend its special tax levy for fire suppression services for an additional four years;
- Parkville has two contested alderman races;
- The Platte County Health Department has a contested trustee race;
- Riverside has a contested alderman race;
- Tracy has a contested election for alderman;
- Weatherby Lake has a contested alderman race for the East Ward;
- Weston has a contested alderman race;
- The Weston Benefit Assessment Special Road District has a contested commissioner race.
Editor's note: The original story incorrectly stated how long Pleasant Hill city officials would serve after appointment until the new ordinance. Appointees would serve until the next opportunity for a general election.
