Blue Springs City Council votes to put local use tax question on November ballot

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Grain Valley. Share your story idea with Claire.

—

UPDATE, Aug. 18 | The Blue Springs City Council voted unanimously Monday night to move forward with putting a local use tax question on the November ballot.

Mayor Chris Lievsay said before the vote that voters should know this attempt is different than previous years, as the city has a clearer plan for how to use the tax dollars.

"We think we've done a good job showing that we will do what we say we were going to do with your tax dollars with the bond issue coming out of August 2024," Lievsay said, referencing the council and city government. "Lots of street maintenance happening. I think this will allow us to continue doing that in a good way, accelerate that in a meaningful way for the residents."

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

ORIGINAL STORY |The Blue Springs City Council will vote Monday night on whether to place a local use tax on the November ballot — the city's third attempt at passing such a measure after failed efforts in 2018 and 2022.

The proposed use tax would apply a 2.5% rate to purchases made from out-of-state retailers, the same rate residents currently pay in city sales tax. If voters approve the measure in November, they would pay the use tax on out-of-state purchases rather than the city sales tax on those transactions.

According to the meeting agenda, revenue generated by the tax would fund street improvements through a 10- to 15-year preventative paving program. Without the additional funding, the city says it would face a 20- to 25-year paving cycle relying solely on the current method.

Lee's Summit and Independence both passed a similar use tax in 2020.

The city council meets at 6 p.m. at the Public Safety Building. The council will also discuss renovations at Adams Pointe Golf Club. You can read the full agenda here.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

—