Starting this week, Lenexa voters will begin receiving ballots in the mail to determine the future of a key funding stream for some of the city’s most visible infrastructure projects.
From March 12 to April 1, residents will be able to vote on renewing Lenexa’s 3/8-cent sales tax through a mail-in ballot.
Originally approved by voters in 2008, the sales tax has served as a funding source for some major city projects over the past decade-and-a-half.
Revenue generated by the tax has helped fund ongoing street maintenance projects, park improvements, city facility renovations and trail construction.
If it is not renewed, then the current tax will expire in September 2028. If approved, then the tax will be extended through 2048.
The tax has been ongoing since 2008
Since first approved more than 15 years ago, the sales tax has funded several initiatives, including road and sidewalk resurfacing projects, renovations to facilities like the Sar-Ko-Par Aquatic Center and Ad Astra Pool, the upcoming Lenexa Old Town Activity Center and playground equipment replacement.
Between 35-40% of the revenue generated by the tax has been paid by visitors to Lenexa and not residents, according to estimates from the Kansas Department of Revenue.
Overall, the city says the sales tax has generated nearly $150 million so far. If voters renew the tax, then the city estimates it will generate an additional $260 million by the time it expires in 2048.
City officials also say the sales tax’s revenue is crucial to keep funding going for several ongoing projects that are part of Lenexa’s current five-year Capital Improvement Program, which runs through 2029, a year after the tax is currently set to expire.
Approving an extension would allow for current capital improvement projects — including Ad Astra pool renovations, upgrades to 95th Street and the Central Green playground project — to continue without fear of interruption, Mayor Julie Sayers said.
“We need to ask for this approval a little bit early so that we can continue our normal processes (and) be able to just roll into next year, continuing with all the projects that we anticipate,” she said. “The sales tax helps us pay for that in a sustainable way, without using property tax.”
There has been no organized opposition to renewing the sales tax, and no opponents spoke out against the measure last year when the city council approved the ballot language.
Residents can vote by mail or drop off boxes
Starting on March 12, ballots will be mailed to all registered voters in Lenexa.
After filling out their ballot, residents can drop the ballots — which come with prepaid return envelopes — in the mail or drop them off at one of the county election office’s secure dropboxes at one of the following locations:
- Johnson County Election Office, 2101 E. Kansas City Road, Olathe
- Shawnee Library, 13811 Johnson Drive, Shawnee
- Central Resource Library, 9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park
- Blue Valley Library, 9000 W. 151st St., Overland Park
- Johnson County Northeast Offices, 6000 Lamar Ave., Mission
- De Soto Library, 33145 W. 83rd St., De Soto
- Spring Hill Library, 109 S. Webster St., Spring Hill
- Gardner Library, 137 E. Shawnee St., Gardner
Ballots must be returned by noon on April 1 or they will not be accepted.
“Unlike normal elections, there is not a grace period for receiving the (ballot in the) mail. It has to be received by noon on April 1,” Sayers said. “We’re telling folks ‘If you can’t get it back in the mail right away, to drop it one of the Johnson County drop boxes.'”
The city has info for those who have questions
The city will have two informational open houses on the tax:
- March 11, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Lenexa City Hall, 17101 West 87th St. Pkwy., Lenexa
- March 18, from 10 a.m. to noon at Lenexa Old Town Activity Center, 9301 Pflumm Road, Lenexa
In December, it established a FAQ webpage with questions and answers concerning the sales taxes and what it has paid for since first being instituted.
If people still have questions, then they can fill out a form on the website to be contacted or they can reach out to city staff for clarifications.
Go deeper: Lenexa will ask residents to renew 3/8-cent sales tax in mail-in election
