KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The fate of a KC Streetcar expansion to UMKC is now in the hands of voters.
On Tuesday, ballots were mailed out to voters living within the boundaries of the proposed transportation development district, which stretches as State Line Road to the west and Campbell to the east.
"It's exciting that we're very close now to realizing the fruits of all this work that everyone has put in," Matt Staub, Vice Chair of the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance, said.
The KCRTA was behind a petition for the expansion to 51st and Main. Proponents like Staub have pointed to increased development along the current route, with an estimated $2 billion invested downtown since the streetcar was announced.
But not everyone is aboard the train.
"It's not practical. It's not modern. It's not affordable. It's not regional, and it's certainly not transit," Sherry DeJanes, founder of SMARTKC, said.
The group has been a vocal opponent and litigant of streetcar expansion. A recent campaign finance filing for SMARTKC shows several prominent Westport businesses, including McCoy’s, Kelly’s Westport Inn and Johnny Kaw’s, contributed to the opposition campaign. We reached out several times to the businesses that donated, but we have not yet received any response.
SMARTKC takes issue with funding for the project, which would come from a 1 percent sales tax in the transportation development district (TDD), plus special assessments of property in parts of the district closest to the line.
DeJanes raised the concern that people who get off the streetcar on Main Street won't want to make the 10-minute walk to Westport. Yet the businesses there will still have to deal with the 1 percent sales tax, plus assessment fees.
"If people are going out for a good time, they can go to an area that's not going to be so heavily taxed," DeJanes said.
Unlike with property taxes, nonprofits would not be exempt from the assessment taxes. However, they would get a lower rate.
Voters will have to consider both sides before filling out their ballots, having them notarized and handing them in by June 12.
DeJanes said she will make a notary available on Saturdays at her law office at 406 W 39th Terrace.