During the August municipal elections in Jackson County, many candidates for the county’s top seats focused on how they would utilize a proposed half-cent sales tax benefiting transportation in the region — if it were approved by voters in November.

Now, the Jackson County Legislature has reversed course and voted not to put the transit tax on the ballot at all.

At an Aug. 10 legislature meeting, an ordinance representing the tax question failed by a 7-0 vote without discussion. Manny Abarca was absent, and Jeanie Lauer was excused from the vote.

The tax would have been used primarily to fund bus, bike and light rail infrastructure, along with sidewalk, street and accessibility related repairs.

The legislature did not hold a public hearing on the proposed tax. Jackson County Counselor Bryan Covinsky said that a hearing was not required since the transit tax would not intersect with local or state statutes.

In the initial text of the proposed ordinance, city staff noted that “the public transportation system that currently operates in Jackson County is significantly underfunded,” and that “a more reliable public transit system would support safety, health, economic, and accessibility priorities for the residents of Jackson County.” The ordinance also suggested using some funding from the tax to implement elements of the Mid-America Regional Council’s existing strategic plan on public transportation growth.

Up to 20% of proceeds from the tax would have been used on bridge and road repairs, particularly in areas already functioning as “transit corridors” or intended for use as one.

The death of a tax

The Jackson County Legislature first encountered the proposed transit tax at its June 1 meeting. It was sponsored by Abarca, shortly before his removal as legislative chair, along with Jalen Anderson. The proposed ordinance was then reassigned to the regional transit committee.

The proposal went back before the legislature on July 14, where it sat before legislators for about a month before the body voted to shoot it down.

Abaraca said at a June forum for county executive candidates that Jackson County voters would likely need to approve the proposed sales tax in order for any upcoming transportation improvement plans to have an actionable funding mechanism at all.

Public transportation in the Kansas City metro is currently organized by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. Several Kansas City suburbs have detached from the organization in recent years — and pulled their financial contributions — as KCATA struggled with route and workforce reduction and technical difficulties.

KCUR reported in June that only three Jackson County cities — Independence, Lee’s Summit and Raytown — still have bus services with fixed routes, and that each city only has one bus route dedicated to taking riders downtown.

Future transit funding options

The failed vote doesn’t stop some kind of new proposed Jackson County transit tax from coming before the legislature in the future.

However, it does scrap the current version of the proposal. Legislators would have to re-propose a version of the transit tax bill in the future if they wanted to see it on the ballot, starting from square one with introduction in a legislative committee.

Without the tax, whoever is voted in as Jackson County Executive in November — Democrat Stacy Lake or Republican Alan Rohlfing — will have to seek alternative funding sources for any planned transit expansions during their term.

Lake is running on a seven-part plan to revitalize the Jackson County government and its services, and has pledged to create a countywide public transit system separate from the KCATA. On the campaign trail, she described a new rapid bus system with at least four lines connecting Kansas City to eastern Jackson County. Each line would include 7 or 8 stops, she said, with a main artery along Independence Avenue.

Rohlfing, meanwhile, has pledged to strengthen core county services including infrastructure and public works. He has not laid out a detailed transportation improvement plan while on the campaign trail.

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