Ballots are on the way to Edgerton residents for the city’s upcoming election for a 1% special sales tax that, if approved, would go toward stormwater and street improvements across the city.
Residents have until March 3 at noon to file their mail ballots, which can be placed in a new ballot box at the Edgerton Library or other drop-off locations, or via mail — though officials remind residents to send in their mail as early as possible, and no later than Tuesday, Feb. 24, as the United States Postal Service no longer guarantees postmarking mail the day it is dropped in mailboxes.
The official special election day is March 3. The final canvass for the results is March 16.
If approved by voters, the sales tax takes effect by Oct. 1. The city would start seeing that money this December, with it expiring after a decade on Sept. 30, 2036.
“Once we get the money, then we have to figure out how to spend the money,” said Kara Banks, assistant to the city administrator of Edgerton, on Thursday to the Post. “We have projects on the unfunded list [of the Capital Improvement Plan], and city council will get to prioritize those in October.”
The Edgerton City Council would consider the list of projects to prioritize with the sales tax during open meetings, Banks added.
What voters will consider
On their mail ballots, residents will see the following language:
“Shall the City of Edgerton, Kansas (“City”) be authorized to levy a one percent (1%) special purpose City Sales Tax within the City, and to use the revenue from the tax, in whole or in part, with any other funds:
(a) to fund stormwater infrastructure improvements including the repairing, rebuilding, rehabilitating, upgrading, constructing and improving stormwater infrastructure including structures, pipes, facilities and other adjacent stormwater improvement needs;
(b) to fund street infrastructure improvements including the repairing, rebuilding, upgrading, constructing, and improving streets, curb and gutters, sidewalks, bridges, streetlights and other adjacent City infrastructure;
(c) to fund all things related to and necessary to construct and finance such projects including bonds and other obligations.”
A look at the numbers
The increase would bump the city’s sales tax to 9.975%, according to city documents.
Based on city staff projections, the increased sales tax could generate up to $700,000 annually, which would make up about 12.88% of the city’s annual sales tax revenue based on 2025 estimates.
The tax is expected to raise a total of $7 million over its full decade lifespan.
Roughly 82% of the city’s current sales tax collections come from Logistics Park Kansas City businesses. The remaining 18% comes from residential businesses outside LPKC.
