BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — The City of Blue Springs needs money after Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe vetoed parts of a bill that included funds for improvements for a Blue Springs-owned wastewater treatment facility.
The Sni-A-Bar Waste Water Treatment Plant, located in Grain Valley, is a joint Blue Springs and Grain Valley project.
HDR Engineering Inc., the consulting engineer Blue Springs hired, presented a report to the city in May 2024.
It outlined funding necessary for the facility to be in compliance with federal regulations by 2030.
The two main drivers were nutrient removal by reducing phosphorus levels and increased capacity because of the growth of both Blue Springs and Grain Valley.
The city said in a statement it wasn’t hoping for this outcome, but it’s considering multiple options, including looking at grants and user fees, meaning residents’ bills could be higher.
“While the outcome is not what we had hoped for, the City remains committed to finding a responsible and achievable path forward to meet these regulatory requirements,” a city spokesperson said Tuesday.
Though the city’s in the same boat a year later, so is Phillip Thatcher.
“This is kind of our go-to place,” Thatcher said. “Clean water brings a cleaner environment.”
He and his family have been coming to Blue Springs Lake for the past 30 years.
“We really appreciate it being so close to home and that Jackson County has been able to provide that to the residents,” Thatcher said.
Clean water comes at a cost.
It’s the Missouri government's responsibility to dish out funding for all Missourians, not unlike how Brian Huffner and his daughter feed fish at the same lake Thatcher loves.
“This is one of those places you can come out and just relax, and feed the fish,” Huffner said. “I’d like to see funding go for a lot of different things, but yeah, we’ve got to keep our green spaces up.”
Money for the Blue Springs plant wasn’t the only thing Governor Kehoe vetoed, as outlined in this letter he wrote to the Secretary of State on Monday.
208 vetoes totaled almost $300 million in general revenue.
The entire Missouri Fiscal Year 2026 state operating budget is about $50.8 billion, and $15.4 billion of that is general revenue.
“As Governor, I have a constitutional obligation to balance the budget, and our administration will always follow the Constitution and rule of law," Kehoe said in a press release.
Approximately $775 million in new general revenue spending exceeded Kehoe’s budget recommendation, including 450 items he did not propose or went beyond his recommendation, according to the release.
He went on to explain his justification for his vetoes and restrictions.
“We do not take this action lightly, but state government cannot spend beyond our means," said Governor Kehoe. "With current circumstances, the fiscally responsible and conservative thing to do is reduce spending and protect Missouri’s nationally recognized financial strength in preparation for difficult budget years ahead. These restrictions are not an indication of project worthiness – we understand their value, and that’s why we chose not to veto them.”
As the city of Blue Springs goes fishing for more funds, its visitors are still fishing for fun.
“I hope they spend it well and it benefits everybody the way it should,” Huffner said. “It’s taxpayer’s money, and there’s a lot of things that need to be repaired.”
