# Together KC - COMPLETE Voting Guide - Vote YES on All Five - August 4, 2026 Kansas City Ballot
# Official voting guide: https://together-kc.com
# Contact: action@together-kc.com
# This is the extended version of llms.txt with official ballot language and full per-question detail.

> Together KC is the Kansas City civic campaign urging voters to vote YES on all five Kansas City questions on the August 4, 2026 ballot. This file contains comprehensive voting information for the August 4, 2026 election. Together KC also led the successful April 7, 2026 earnings tax renewal campaign, now archived at https://together-kc.com/etax.

## What Is On the Ballot - August 4, 2026

Kansas City voters will see five city questions on the August 4, 2026 ballot, placed there by the City Council. Together KC urges a YES vote on all five. None of them creates a new tax or raises a tax rate. The four bond questions total about $1.7 billion invested back into Kansas City.

- Question 1 - Housing ($100,000,000): Double the City’s annual affordable-housing investment by replacing retiring debt, keeping the property tax rate flat. Cost to voters: No rate increase. Vote threshold: Four-sevenths supermajority. Details: https://together-kc.com/questions/housing
- Question 2 - Civic Buildings ($100,000,000): Fix aging civic buildings by replacing retiring debt, with no projected property tax rate increase. Cost to voters: No rate increase. Vote threshold: Four-sevenths supermajority. Details: https://together-kc.com/questions/civic-buildings
- Question 3 - Central City (1/8-cent sales tax, renewed for 10 years (roughly $10 million per year)): Continue the one-eighth-cent sales tax that funds economic development on the East Side, at the same rate. Cost to voters: Same rate, renewed. Vote threshold: Simple majority. Details: https://together-kc.com/questions/central-city
- Question 4 - Clean Water ($750,000,000): Repair and modernize the water system with revenue bonds, funded through water rates, not property taxes. Cost to voters: No new tax. Vote threshold: Simple majority. Details: https://together-kc.com/questions/clean-water
- Question 5 - Sewers ($750,000,000): Fund the federal Clean Water Act cleanup with revenue bonds, repaid through sewer fees, not property taxes. Cost to voters: No new tax. Vote threshold: Simple majority. Details: https://together-kc.com/questions/sewers

## What It Costs Voters

Honest answer: none of these five questions creates a new tax, and none of them raises a tax rate. Here is the precise breakdown, because the details matter and you deserve them straight.

- Clean Water and Sewers are revenue bonds. They are repaid only from the water and sewer fees KC Water already collects, not from property taxes. There is no new tax and no tax increase tied to either question. These are not a promise that utility bills never rise (rates are set separately by the City), but city staff say revenue bonds are the cheapest way to fund work that has to happen anyway, and that rejecting them would force pricier borrowing and faster rate increases.
- Housing and Civic Buildings are general obligation bonds, backed by the City’s existing debt-service property tax levy. They do not raise your property tax rate, because the new bonds are timed to replace older debt that is being paid off. City staff project the overall debt-service rate stays flat. You keep paying the same rate you already pay, not a higher one.
- Central City is a renewal of an existing tax, not a new one. The one-eighth-cent sales tax has been collected citywide since 2017 to fund East Side development. A YES vote keeps that rate exactly where it is. Shoppers see no increase. If it fails, the tax simply expires after September 30, 2027.

Bottom line: vote YES on all five and your tax rates do not go up. Two are funded entirely through utility fees, two replace retiring debt, and one continues a tax that is already in place.

## Important Dates

- Voter registration deadline: about July 8, 2026 (fourth Wednesday before the election; confirm the exact date with your county election board)
- Early in-person voting (no excuse needed): Tuesday, July 21 - Monday, August 3, 2026
- Election Day: Tuesday, August 4, 2026, polls open 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM

## How to Check Your Voter Registration

Visit the Missouri Secretary of State voter portal:
https://voteroutreach.sos.mo.gov/portal/

You can verify your registration status, find your assigned polling place, and view your sample ballot.

## Sample Ballots

Always confirm the official wording and question order on your authenticated sample ballot from the Kansas City Election Board: https://kceb.org

## What to Bring to Vote

Missouri requires a valid photo ID to vote. Acceptable forms include:
- Missouri driver's license or non-driver ID
- US passport
- Military ID
- Other government-issued photo ID

If you do not have a photo ID, you can still vote by signing a sworn statement at the polls.

## Early Voting Locations (Tuesday, July 21 - Monday, August 3, 2026)

Your county election board is open for early in-person voting during this window. Additional early-voting satellite sites may be added closer to the election. For the full list of sites and confirmed hours, visit the Kansas City Election Board.

### Jackson County - Kansas City Election Board
- Address: 4405 E. 50th Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64130
  - Early voting (July 21 to Aug 3, 2026): open for early voting; confirm exact daily hours at https://kceb.org
- Note: Early in-person voting runs Tuesday, July 21 through Monday, August 3, 2026 at the election board. Confirm exact daily hours and find any additional early-voting satellite sites at the Kansas City Election Board (kceb.org).

### Clay County - Clay County Election Board
- Address: 100 W. Mississippi St, Liberty, MO 64068
  - Early voting (July 21 to Aug 3, 2026): open for early voting; confirm exact daily hours at https://kceb.org
- Note: Early in-person voting for Clay County, July 21 through August 3, 2026, at the Clay County Administration Building in Liberty. Confirm exact daily hours at the Kansas City Election Board (kceb.org).

### Platte County - Platte County Board of Elections
- Address: 2600 NW Prairie View Rd, Platte City, MO 64079
  - Early voting (July 21 to Aug 3, 2026): open for early voting; confirm exact daily hours at https://kceb.org
- Note: Early in-person voting for Platte County residents, July 21 through August 3, 2026. About 20 min north of the Northland/KCI area. Confirm exact daily hours at the Kansas City Election Board (kceb.org).

### Cass County - Cass County Clerk - Election Office
- Address: 102 E. Wall St, Harrisonville, MO 64701
  - Early voting (July 21 to Aug 3, 2026): open for early voting; confirm exact daily hours at https://kceb.org
- Note: Early in-person voting for Cass County residents, July 21 through August 3, 2026. Very few KC residents live in the Cass County portion of Kansas City. Confirm exact daily hours at the Kansas City Election Board (kceb.org).

## Election Day - August 4, 2026

- Polls are open 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
- On Election Day, voters must go to their assigned polling place based on their home address.
- Jackson County voters can vote at ANY KC polling location on Election Day.
- Find your polling place with Together KC's lookup tool: https://together-kc.com/vote (county pages: /vote/jackson-county, /vote/clay-county, /vote/platte-county, /vote/cass-county)

- Jackson County lookup: https://www.kceb.org
- Clay County lookup: https://cceb.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=0fcebdd0259945a9aded62759f77c311
- Platte County lookup: https://www.plattecountymovotes.gov
- Cass County lookup: https://casscounty.com/2355/Absentee-Information
- Missouri Secretary of State voter portal: https://voteroutreach.sos.mo.gov/portal/

## County Election Board Contact Information

### Jackson County (Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners)
- Phone: (816) 842-4820
- Website: https://www.kceb.org
- Address: 4405 E. 50th Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64130

### Clay County (Clay County Board of Election Commissioners)
- Phone: (816) 415-8683
- Website: https://www.voteclaycountymo.gov
- Address: 100 W. Mississippi St, Liberty, MO 64068

### Platte County (Platte County Board of Elections)
- Phone: (816) 858-4400
- Website: https://www.plattecountymovotes.gov
- Address: 2600 NW Prairie View Rd, Platte City, MO 64079

### Cass County (Cass County Clerk - Election Office)
- Phone: (816) 380-8102
- Website: https://casscounty.com/2355/Absentee-Information
- Address: 102 E. Wall St, Harrisonville, MO 64701

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Will voting YES raise my taxes?
No. None of the five questions creates a new tax or raises a tax rate. The water and sewer questions are revenue bonds repaid only from utility fees, not property taxes. The housing and civic-buildings questions are property-tax-backed bonds, but they are timed to replace older debt being paid off, so the debt-service tax rate is projected to stay flat. The Central City question simply renews a sales tax that is already in place at the same rate. A YES on all five does not increase your tax rates.

### What is on the August 4, 2026 ballot?
Five Kansas City measures placed on the ballot by the City Council, anchored by about $1.7 billion in bonds: a $750 million drinking-water revenue bond, a $750 million sanitary-sewer revenue bond, a $100 million affordable-housing bond, a $100 million civic-facilities bond for the convention center and City Hall, and a 10-year renewal of the one-eighth-cent Central City Economic Development sales tax.

### Are the water and sewer questions really not a tax?
Correct. Both are revenue bonds, repaid solely from the water and sewer fees KC Water already collects, not from any property tax. They are not a guarantee that utility bills stay flat, because rates are set separately by the City and sewer rates have been rising for years to fund a federal cleanup. But the bonds themselves add no new tax, and city staff say they are the lowest-cost way to fund work the City is legally required to do.

### If the housing and civic bonds are backed by property tax, how is that no increase?
These are general obligation bonds secured by the City’s debt-service property tax levy. The reason there is no rate increase is timing: the new bonds are issued to replace existing debt that is being paid off. City staff project that about $200 million in new bonds (the housing and civic questions combined) replaces roughly $200 million of retiring debt, so the overall debt-service rate stays level. You keep paying the rate you already pay.

### What does the Central City question do?
It renews, for another 10 years, the one-eighth-cent sales tax that has funded economic development on Kansas City’s East Side since 2017. It is a renewal, not a new tax, so the sales tax rate stays exactly the same. The tax has put more than $88 million into 58 projects in the district. Its current authorization expires September 30, 2027, so a YES vote keeps that reinvestment going.

### Why does the housing bond need more votes than a normal majority?
Because it is a general obligation bond on an August primary ballot, it requires a four-sevenths supermajority (about 57.1 percent) to pass. The civic-facilities bond needs the same supermajority. That higher bar is exactly why turnout matters. Every YES vote counts toward that threshold.

### When and where do I vote?
Election Day is Tuesday, August 4, 2026, with polls open 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM. No-excuse early in-person voting begins Tuesday, July 21, 2026. To vote in this election you must be registered by the Missouri deadline, which falls on the fourth Wednesday before the election (about July 8, 2026); confirm the exact date with your county election board. On Election Day, vote at your assigned polling place based on your home address. Look up your polling place with the Kansas City Election Board or your county board.

### Who is behind this effort?
Together KC, the same coalition that helped renew the Kansas City earnings tax with a strong YES vote on April 7, 2026. We support a Kansas City that invests in clean water, safe rivers, affordable homes, working civic buildings, and reinvestment in every neighborhood. Always confirm the official wording and question order on your authenticated sample ballot from the Kansas City Election Board.

## Per-Question Detail and Official Ballot Language

### Question 1 - $100 million for affordable homes, with no rate increase

The problem: Kansas City is short an estimated 64,000 affordable homes, a gap concentrated among the very-low-income and extremely-low-income families who can least absorb rising rents. The City’s housing director, Blaine Proctor, put it plainly: the shortage is made up of households at the bottom of the income ladder, the people with the fewest options when a unit is lost or a rent goes up. The Housing Trust Fund that the City built to chip away at this gap is on track to run out: the $50 million voters approved in 2022 has been going out the door at roughly $15 million a year and is projected to be spent by 2027.

What it does: Question 1 authorizes the City to issue up to $100 million in general obligation bonds for affordable housing: rehabilitating and renovating existing houses and buildings, building new ones, and clearing blighted property, all to serve very-low- to moderate-income households. The money flows through the Housing Trust Fund, the City’s competitive grant program for affordable housing. With this infusion the Trust Fund could award about $20 million a year through 2032, roughly double its current pace, potentially producing thousands more affordable units.

Why it matters: Without new bonds the Trust Fund effectively goes dark in 2027, just as the shortage is most acute. The bond does not just keep the program alive, it scales it: doubling annual investment is the difference between a few hundred units and several thousand over the life of the program. And it is structured so taxpayers carry no higher rate, because it slots into the space left by about $200 million in older City debt that is being retired.

What your YES does: A YES on Question 1 lets the City sell up to $100 million in housing bonds and roughly double what the Housing Trust Fund can invest each year, while keeping the property tax RATE flat by replacing debt that is being paid off. Because it is a general obligation bond, it needs a four-sevenths supermajority, so turnout and margin both matter.

The honest cost answer: This is a property-tax-backed general obligation bond, not a tax-free measure, and the ballot language says so directly: it authorizes the City to keep property tax rates high enough to pay the bonds off. What stays flat is the RATE. The City can issue these $100 million in bonds without raising the debt-service levy because roughly $200 million in older general-obligation debt is being paid off and these bonds take its place. So the honest framing is: no increase to your property tax RATE, but yes, this is debt repaid by the City’s debt-service property tax, not a cost-free program.

Key facts:
- Officially Question 1 on the Kansas City portion of the August 4, 2026 primary ballot.
- Authorizes up to $100,000,000 in general obligation bonds for affordable housing.
- Money flows through the Kansas City Housing Trust Fund (established 2018, Ordinance 180719).
- Funds rehabilitation, renovation, new construction, and blight removal for very-low- to moderate-income households.
- Would roughly double the Trust Fund annual investment to about $20 million a year, sustained through 2032.
- Addresses an estimated 64,000-unit affordable-housing shortage cited by the City’s housing department.
- Requires a four-sevenths (about 57.1%) supermajority to pass, because it is a GO bond.
- Structured to replace roughly $200 million in older debt being retired, so the debt-service tax RATE does not rise.
- The Trust Fund was first seeded with $12.5 million in federal pandemic relief in 2021 and a $50 million voter-approved infusion in November 2022.
- To date the Trust Fund has awarded more than $61 million and helped fund roughly 3,000 affordable units.
- The Housing Trust Fund supports households earning about 60% or less of the area average monthly income.
- Completed Trust Fund developments have already delivered 365 affordable units across the city, from Amethyst Place to Forest Hill Village.

Official ballot language (verbatim): "Shall the City of Kansas City, Missouri issue its general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $100,000,000.00 for the purpose of affordable housing through the rehabilitation, renovation, and construction of houses and buildings, including blight removal, to provide affordable housing for very low- to moderate-income households? The authorization of the bonds will authorize the City to maintain tangible property tax rates sufficient to pay the interest and principal on the bonds until fully paid."

Question 1 FAQs:

**Will Question 1 raise my taxes?**
It will not raise your property tax RATE. The City can issue these $100 million in bonds while keeping the debt-service levy flat because about $200 million in older debt is being paid off and these bonds replace it. Be clear-eyed though: this is a general obligation bond backed by the property tax, and the ballot language authorizes the City to keep rates high enough to repay it. The rate stays the same; the City is not promising the bonds are free.

**What is the Housing Trust Fund and how does the money get spent?**
The Housing Trust Fund is the City’s competitive grant program for affordable housing, established in 2018. It awards money to developers through a regular request-for-proposals process to rehab, renovate, build, and clear blight for very-low- to moderate-income households. The $100 million bond would feed this fund, letting it award about $20 million a year through 2032, roughly double its current pace.

**Why does this need a supermajority?**
Because it is a general obligation bond, Missouri law requires a four-sevenths supermajority, about 57.1 percent, rather than a simple majority. That is a higher bar than a normal yes-or-no question, so both turnout and the margin of victory matter.

**How big is Kansas City’s housing shortage, really?**
The City’s housing department estimates a 64,000-unit shortage of affordable housing, concentrated among very-low-income and extremely-low-income households. That is the gap this bond is meant to start closing.

**What happens if it fails?**
The Housing Trust Fund current money, the $50 million voters approved in 2022, is going out at about $15 million a year and is projected to be spent by 2027. Without new bonds, the City’s affordable-housing program effectively stalls just as the shortage is most severe.

**Has the Trust Fund actually built anything?**
Yes. Since it was first funded in 2021 the Trust Fund has awarded more than $61 million and helped fund roughly 3,000 affordable units across the city. Reported unit counts vary by date and source as projects move from award to completion.

Sources for Question 1:
- KCEB August 4, 2026 sample ballot (Issues Only PDF), confirming Question 1 official wording: https://kceb.org/elections/ballot/
- City of Kansas City ordinance calling the housing bond election, File #260484: https://clerk.kcmo.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?GUID=8EED7EA0-A903-4FE5-845A-84B1A6FCC962&ID=8027543
- KSHB: Kansas City adds 5 measures to August ballot: https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/missouri/kansas-city/kansas-city-missouri-adds-5-measures-to-august-ballot
- KCUR: Kansas City's August election will have 5 bond and tax measures, a guide: https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2026-05-26/kansas-city-is-asking-voters-to-pass-5-bond-and-tax-measures-in-augusts-election-heres-a-guide
- The Beacon: Your guide to the August 2026 Kansas City ballot questions: https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2026/05/21/kansas-city-ballot-questions-august-2026/
- City of Kansas City: Affordable Housing Trust Fund: https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/housing/housing-trust-fund
- KCUR: Kansas City got $50 million for its Housing Trust Fund, how did it spend the money: https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2023-11-27/kansas-city-got-50-million-for-its-housing-trust-fund-how-did-it-spend-the-money-this-year

### Question 2 - Civic Buildings: $100 Million to Repair the Convention Center and City Hall

The problem: Kansas City's signature public buildings are wearing out. Bartle Hall and the Municipal Auditorium make up the convention center that competes for the events, visitors, and spending that flow into the local economy, and City Hall, which opened in 1937, still houses core city government nearly 90 years later. Their heating and cooling, electrical, plumbing, and building systems are aging out. City staff have identified roughly $51 million in repair needs at City Hall alone, far more than this measure can cover, including HVAC for floors 1 through 15, about $10 million in water piping, fire alarm and intercom replacement, exterior window replacement, and waterproofing of the building envelope.

What it does: Question 2 authorizes the City to issue up to $100 million in general obligation bonds to acquire, renovate, improve, equip, and furnish City convention facilities and pre-1950 government buildings used for administration, convention, or public assembly. City staff plan to direct about $75 million to the convention center and about $25 million to City Hall. Within the convention center share, roughly $49 million is planned for architectural projects, $23 million for mechanical projects such as a new heating and air conditioning system, and $3 million for electrical projects such as conference center lighting. The City is partnering with the design firm Populous on the convention center work.

Why it matters: The City’s convention and entertainment facilities director, Kimiko Gilmore, calls these core infrastructure investments, not cosmetic projects, that directly affect the City’s ability to operate its buildings safely, efficiently, and competitively. A convention center that cannot reliably heat, cool, and power its halls loses bookings to other cities, and those lost events mean lost hotel stays, restaurant tabs, and jobs. City Hall is where residents do business with their government every day. Letting these buildings decline costs more to fix later.

What your YES does: A YES vote authorizes the $100 million in repair bonds and lets the City keep its debt-service property tax rate flat by timing the new borrowing to replace older debt that is being paid off. Because this is a general obligation bond on a primary election ballot, it needs a four-sevenths supermajority, about 57.1 percent, so every YES vote counts toward that higher bar.

The honest cost answer: This is a general obligation bond backed by the City’s existing debt-service property tax levy, so it is not tax-free, and the ballot says so plainly: it authorizes the City to maintain property tax rates sufficient to pay the bonds until they are fully paid. The reason there is no projected rate increase is timing. The City plans to issue this $100 million (together with the $100 million housing bond) as roughly $200 million of older general obligation debt is being completely paid off, so the overall debt-service rate is projected to stay flat. You keep paying the rate you already pay rather than a higher one. The catch worth stating honestly: the ballot authorizes, but does not cap or prohibit, the levy needed to repay the bonds, and the $25 million planned for City Hall is only about half of the roughly $51 million in repairs staff have already identified there.

Key facts:
- Official ballot designation: Question 2 on the City of Kansas City portion of the August 4, 2026 primary ballot.
- Authorizes up to $100,000,000 in general obligation bonds for City convention facilities and pre-1950 government buildings used for administration, convention, or public assembly.
- City staff plan roughly $75 million for the convention center (Bartle Hall and the Municipal Auditorium) and roughly $25 million for City Hall.
- Convention center share breaks down to about $49 million architectural, $23 million mechanical (new HVAC), and $3 million electrical (such as conference center lighting).
- City staff have identified about $51 million in repair needs at City Hall, more than the $25 million this measure would provide; Assistant City Manager Tammy Queen said the City has far more needs than $25 million would support.
- The Municipal Auditorium and Music Hall opened in 1935 and City Hall opened in 1937; both fall under the ballot's 'constructed before 1950' language.
- Requires a four-sevenths supermajority (about 57.1 percent) to pass because it is a general obligation bond at a primary election.
- Combined with the housing bond (Question 1), the City says about $200 million in new bonds replaces about $200 million in debt being fully paid off, so no property tax rate increase is projected.
- The bonds still require subsequent City Council approval to actually issue as specific projects move forward.
- The City is partnering with the design firm Populous on the convention center renovations.

Official ballot language (verbatim): "Shall the City of Kansas City, Missouri, issue its general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $100,000,000.00 for the purpose of paying for the acquisition, construction, renovation, improvement, equipping, and furnishing of City convention facilities and building facilities constructed before 1950 that are used primarily for governmental administration, convention, or public assembly? The authorization of the bonds will authorize the City to maintain tangible property tax rates sufficient to pay the interest and principal on the bonds until fully paid."

Question 2 FAQs:

**What exactly does Question 2 pay for?**
Repairs and renovations to the City’s convention facilities and its older government buildings. City staff plan about $75 million for the convention center, Bartle Hall and the Municipal Auditorium, and about $25 million for City Hall. The convention center money is slated for roughly $49 million in architectural work, $23 million in mechanical work like a new heating and air conditioning system, and $3 million in electrical work such as conference center lighting.

**Will this raise my taxes?**
The City does not project a property tax rate increase. This is a general obligation bond backed by the existing debt-service property tax levy, and it is timed to replace older debt that is being paid off. Combined with the housing bond, staff say about $200 million in new bonds replaces about $200 million in retiring debt, so the rate stays flat. It is not tax-free, though: the ballot authorizes the City to maintain the levy needed to repay the bonds.

**Why does it need a supermajority?**
Because it is a general obligation bond on a primary election ballot, it requires a four-sevenths supermajority, about 57.1 percent, rather than a simple majority. That higher threshold is exactly why turnout matters; every YES vote counts toward reaching it.

**How old are these buildings?**
The Municipal Auditorium and Music Hall opened in 1935 and City Hall opened in 1937, making City Hall nearly 90 years old. The ballot covers government and convention buildings constructed before 1950, whose heating, cooling, electrical, and plumbing systems are wearing out.

**Is $100 million enough to fix everything?**
No, and city officials say so. Staff have identified about $51 million in needs at City Hall alone, while the plan directs only about $25 million there. Assistant City Manager Tammy Queen said the City has far more needs than $25 million would support. This measure addresses the most pressing core infrastructure, not every repair.

**Does approval mean the bonds are issued right away?**
No. A YES vote authorizes the City to issue up to $100 million in bonds. The bonds still require subsequent City Council approval to actually be issued as specific projects move forward.

Sources for Question 2:
- Kansas City Election Board sample ballot (Issues Only), August 4, 2026 primary: https://kceb.org/elections/ballot/
- KSHB 41: Kansas City, Missouri, adds 5 measures to August ballot: https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/missouri/kansas-city/kansas-city-missouri-adds-5-measures-to-august-ballot
- The Beacon: Your guide to the August 2026 Kansas City ballot questions: https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2026/05/21/kansas-city-ballot-questions-august-2026/
- KCUR: Kansas City's August election will have 5 bond and tax measures: https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2026-05-26/kansas-city-is-asking-voters-to-pass-5-bond-and-tax-measures-in-augusts-election-heres-a-guide
- City of Kansas City: City Council Places Five Measures on August 4 Ballot: https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/3103/16
- KCTV5: $1.7 billion question: Kansas City voters to weigh in on infrastructure, housing and more: https://www.kctv5.com/2026/05/22/17-billion-question-kansas-city-voters-weigh-infrastructure-housing-more/

### Question 3 - Central City Economic Development Sales Tax Renewal

The problem: For generations, Kansas City's East Side was left out of the development boom that reshaped downtown, the Plaza, and the suburbs. Banks and private capital routinely passed it by, so good projects stalled for lack of that last piece of financing. In 2017 voters created a dedicated tool to change that: a one-eighth-cent sales tax that pools local dollars to fund economic development inside a defined Central City district. That authorization is now scheduled to expire on September 30, 2027.

What it does: Question 3 renews the existing one-eighth-cent (1/8%) Central City Economic Development sales tax for another 10 years, at the same rate, under Section 67.1305 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. The money funds economic-development projects inside the district bounded by 9th Street on the north, Gregory Boulevard on the south, The Paseo on the west, and Indiana Avenue on the east. A citizen CCED Sales Tax Board reviews developer applications and recommends projects to the City Council, with the program now administered by the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City for tighter oversight and steadier funding rounds.

Why it matters: This is the primary dedicated funding stream for reinvestment in Kansas City's historically disinvested urban core. Since 2017 it has put more than $88 million into 58 projects and generates roughly $10 million a year, financing jobs, small and locally owned businesses, early-childhood facilities, housing, and neighborhood revitalization that private capital alone has not delivered. If the renewal fails, the tax simply expires after September 30, 2027, and the East Side loses its only sales-tax-funded development engine.

What your YES does: A YES vote keeps the sales tax exactly where it is, at the same one-eighth-cent rate, for 10 more years. Shoppers see no increase, because this renews a tax that is already in place rather than creating a new one. It keeps roughly $10 million a year flowing into East Side jobs, businesses, and neighborhoods instead of letting the program lapse in 2027.

The honest cost answer: This is a renewal of an existing tax, not a new one. The one-eighth-cent (1/8%) sales tax has been collected citywide since 2017, with every dollar dedicated to development inside the Central City district. A YES vote keeps that rate exactly the same for 10 more years, so shoppers see no increase at the register. It is not a no-tax measure: if voters reject it, the levy simply expires after September 30, 2027, and the dedicated East Side development fund goes away. Unlike the water and sewer questions on the same ballot, this is a sales tax, not a bond, so it is not repaid from utility fees or property taxes.

Key facts:
- Renews an existing one-eighth-cent (1/8%) sales tax under Section 67.1305 RSMo for a 10-year term. It is not a new tax and not a rate increase.
- Kansas City voters first approved the tax in 2017.
- The district is bounded by 9th Street (north), Gregory Boulevard (south), The Paseo (west), and Indiana Avenue (east), on the city’s East Side.
- The current authorization is scheduled to expire September 30, 2027, if voters do not renew it.
- The tax generates roughly $10 million per year and is projected to total about $100 million by September 2026.
- The City reports more than $88 million directed into 58 projects since 2017 (earlier 2025 reporting cited about $60 million across roughly 60 projects, before the most recent rounds).
- A citizen CCED Sales Tax Board reviews developer applications and recommends projects to the City Council; as of September 2025 the program is administered by the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City (EDCKC).
- On the August 4, 2026 City of Kansas City ballot this is Question 3. As a sales-tax renewal it requires a simple majority to pass.
- First authorized by Ordinance 160861, approved by Kansas City voters on April 4, 2017 with 60% support.

Official ballot language (verbatim): "Shall the City of Kansas City be authorized to renew a sales tax authorized by Section 67.1305 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri for a period of 10 years at a rate of 1/8% to be used for funding economic development projects within the area bounded by 9th Street on the north; Gregory Boulevard on the south; The Paseo on the west; and Indiana Avenue on the east, which may include the retirement of debt under previously authorized bonded indebtedness or to repay bonds not yet issued? This sales tax would continue the existing sales tax authorized by Section 67.1305 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri and scheduled to expire on September 30, 2027."

Question 3 FAQs:

**Is this a new tax or a tax increase?**
Neither. Question 3 renews the one-eighth-cent (1/8%) sales tax that Kansas City has already collected citywide since 2017. The rate does not change, so shoppers see no increase. It is a renewal, not a new tax.

**What happens if it fails?**
The tax expires after September 30, 2027. That removes roughly $10 million a year, the East Side’s primary dedicated economic-development funding stream, with no replacement in place.

**Where does the tax apply, and who pays it?**
It is collected citywide: anyone making a taxable retail purchase inside the Kansas City, Missouri city limits pays the one-eighth-cent rate. The district defines where the money is spent. Every dollar is dedicated to economic-development projects within the Central City district on the East Side, bounded by 9th Street on the north, Gregory Boulevard on the south, The Paseo on the west, and Indiana Avenue on the east.

**What has the tax actually paid for?**
The City reports more than $88 million directed into 58 projects since 2017. Examples include KD Academy, a 24-hour early-learning facility on Prospect Avenue, and One Nine Vine, a mixed-use development bringing 80 new residential units and a 138-space parking garage. Developers have said projects like these likely would not have happened without the CCED boost.

**Who decides which projects get funded?**
A citizen Central City Economic Development (CCED) Sales Tax Board reviews and analyzes developer applications and recommends projects to the City Council, which makes the final call. As of September 2025 the program is administered by the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City (EDCKC), a change city leaders made to strengthen oversight and deliver more predictable funding rounds after earlier criticism that the program moved slowly.

**How long does the renewal last?**
Ten years. If approved, the renewed tax picks up when the current authorization expires on September 30, 2027, and runs for another decade.

Sources for Question 3:
- Kansas City Election Board, August 4, 2026 Issues-Only Sample Ballot (official Question 3 language): https://kceb.org/elections/ballot/
- City of Kansas City: Council Places Five Measures on August 4 Ballot (official news release, $88M/58 projects): https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/3103/16
- KCUR: Kansas City is asking voters to pass 5 bond and tax measures in August's election, here's a guide: https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2026-05-26/kansas-city-is-asking-voters-to-pass-5-bond-and-tax-measures-in-augusts-election-heres-a-guide
- The Beacon: Your guide to the August 2026 Kansas City ballot questions: https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2026/05/21/kansas-city-ballot-questions-august-2026/
- KSHB 41: Kansas City, Missouri, adds 5 measures to August ballot: https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/missouri/kansas-city/kansas-city-missouri-adds-5-measures-to-august-ballot
- Startland News: Lesser-known sales tax faces pivotal 2026 vote: https://www.startlandnews.com/2025/12/kansas-city-cced-vote/
- EDCKC: Central City Economic Development (CCED) Sales Tax District: https://edckc.com/what-we-do/land-development/cced/
- The Community Voice: KC East Side Sales Tax Fund Shift Announced (EDCKC transition): https://www.communityvoiceks.com/2025/09/25/cced-sales-tax-program-edckc-transition/

### Question 4 - Clean Water: $750 million to keep Kansas City's drinking water reliable

The problem: Kansas City's drinking-water system is large and aging. KC Water maintains roughly 2,800 miles of water mains, a 240-million-gallon-per-day treatment plant, four major pump stations, and fourteen re-pump stations to deliver safe water to about 172,000 customers plus 34 wholesale customers. Pipes, pumps, and treatment equipment wear out, and federal and state drinking-water rules keep getting stricter. Much of this work is not optional. It is required to keep clean water coming out of the tap and to stay in compliance with federal, state, and judicial requirements.

What it does: Question 4 authorizes the City to issue up to $750 million in waterworks revenue bonds to rehabilitate, expand, and improve the drinking-water system, including acquiring land and rights of way. In plain terms, that means replacing old water mains and upgrading treatment, pumping, and distribution so service stays reliable. The bonds are repaid solely from KC Water’s own water-rate revenue. The City is legally barred from using property, sales, or earnings taxes to pay them back.

Why it matters: Revenue bonds are the lowest-cost money available for infrastructure that has to be rebuilt regardless of how anyone votes. City staff say the cost of these bonds is already baked into KC Water’s long-range rate plan. If voters reject them, the work still has to happen, but the utility would be forced into more expensive financing with higher interest rates, which means bigger rate increases for the same projects. This is the drinking-water companion to the sanitary-sewer revenue bonds in Question 5 and to the $750 million sewer bonds Kansas City voters already approved in 2022.

What your YES does: A YES on Question 4 lets KC Water borrow at the cheapest available rate to keep clean, reliable water flowing and to stay compliant with federal and state drinking-water rules, without adding a single dollar to your property tax bill. A NO does not stop the projects. It just makes them cost more and pushes water rates up faster.

The honest cost answer: No new tax and no tax increase. These are revenue bonds repaid only from the water rates KC Water already collects, not from property, sales, or earnings taxes, so they have no property tax impact. This is not a promise that your water bill never rises. Water rates are set separately by the City and the cost of this work is already factored into the utility rate plan. The honest framing: a YES funds work that has to happen anyway with the cheapest available borrowing, while a NO forces KC Water into pricier debt and faster rate increases.

Key facts:
- Official ballot designation: Question 4 on the City of Kansas City, Missouri portion of the August 4, 2026 special election ballot.
- Authorizes up to $750,000,000 in waterworks revenue bonds.
- Bonds are payable solely from waterworks system revenues (water bills and fees); the City cannot use property, sales, or earnings tax to repay them, so there is no property tax impact.
- Funds rehabilitating, expanding, and improving the drinking-water system, including acquiring land and rights of way, and maintaining compliance with federal, state, and judicial requirements.
- KC Water's drinking-water system spans roughly 2,800 miles of water mains, a 240-million-gallon-per-day treatment plant, 4 major pump stations, and 14 re-pump stations.
- The system serves about 172,000 customers plus 34 active wholesale customers; about 80% of raw water comes from the Missouri River and 20% from the Missouri River aquifer.
- City staff say the bond costs are already built into KC Water’s plan for future rates; rejecting the bonds would force costlier borrowing and faster rate increases.
- Requires only a simple majority to pass, unlike the general-obligation bond questions (Questions 1 and 2), which need a four-sevenths supermajority.
- Voters approved the prior $500 million water revenue bond authorization in April 2014 with 79% support; it is now nearly exhausted.

Official ballot language (verbatim): "Shall the City of Kansas City, Missouri issue waterworks revenue bonds in the principal amount of $750,000,000.00 for the purpose of rehabilitating, expanding and improving the City's waterworks system, including acquiring necessary land and rights of way, in order to provide for its continuing operation and to maintain compliance with federal, state and judicial requirements, with the principal of and interest on said revenue bonds to be payable solely from the revenues derived by the City from the operation of its waterworks system, including all future rehabilitations, improvements and expansions thereto?"

Question 4 FAQs:

**Does Question 4 raise my taxes?**
No. These are waterworks revenue bonds, repaid solely from KC Water’s own water-rate revenue. The City is legally prohibited from using property, sales, or earnings tax money to pay them back, so there is no property tax impact.

**Will my water bill go up because of this?**
This question does not set rates. City staff say the cost of these bonds is already built into KC Water’s long-range rate plan. Voting NO would not lower your bill; because the projects still have to be done, it would force more expensive borrowing and push rates up faster.

**What exactly does the $750 million pay for?**
Rehabilitating, expanding, and improving the drinking-water system: replacing aging water mains, upgrading the treatment plant, and improving pumping and distribution, plus acquiring any land and rights of way needed to keep the system running and compliant with federal and state rules.

**Is this the same as the sewer question?**
No. Question 4 is the drinking-water (waterworks) bond. Question 5 is a separate $750 million sanitary-sewer revenue bond tied to the federal Clean Water Act sewer cleanup. They are two different systems and two different votes.

**What happens if Question 4 fails?**
The aging infrastructure still has to be replaced to keep water safe and reliable and to meet federal and state rules. Without the low-cost revenue bonds, KC Water would have to use more expensive financing with higher interest rates, meaning bigger water-rate increases for the same projects.

**How many votes does it need to pass?**
A simple majority. Unlike the general-obligation bond questions for housing and civic buildings, this revenue-bond question does not require a four-sevenths supermajority.

Sources for Question 4:
- Kansas City Election Board, August 4, 2026 sample ballot (Issues Only PDF, Question 4 verbatim): https://kceb.org/elections/ballot/
- The Beacon: Your guide to the August 2026 Kansas City ballot questions: https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2026/05/21/kansas-city-ballot-questions-august-2026/
- KCUR: Kansas City is asking voters to pass 5 bond and tax measures in August's election: https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2026-05-26/kansas-city-is-asking-voters-to-pass-5-bond-and-tax-measures-in-augusts-election-heres-a-guide
- KSHB 41: Kansas City, Missouri, adds 5 measures to August ballot: https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/missouri/kansas-city/kansas-city-missouri-adds-5-measures-to-august-ballot
- KCTV5: $1.7 billion question - Kansas City voters to weigh in on infrastructure, housing and more: https://www.kctv5.com/2026/05/22/17-billion-question-kansas-city-voters-weigh-infrastructure-housing-more/
- KC Water: Water (drinking-water system facts): https://www.kcwater.us/about-us/water/
- KC Water: Sewer Bond Authorization (prior 2022 $750M authorization context): https://www.kcwater.us/about-us/sewer-bond-authorization/

### Question 5 - $750 million to clean up our rivers and fix the sewers

The problem: When heavy rain hits Kansas City, the aging sewer system overflows and pushes raw, untreated sewage into local creeks, streams, and rivers. The pollution was severe enough that the U.S. EPA and Department of Justice took the city to federal court under the Clean Water Act. The 2010 settlement documented billions of gallons of combined sewer overflow reaching area waterways and around one hundred million gallons of separate sanitary sewer overflow that had to be eliminated entirely. This is a public-health and clean-water problem the city is legally bound to fix.

What it does: Question 5 authorizes the City to issue up to $750 million in sanitary sewer revenue bonds to keep the court-ordered Smart Sewer cleanup moving: rebuilding aging pipes, pump stations, and treatment plants and building green infrastructure that keeps stormwater out of the sewers. The ballot language is explicit that the bonds are paid back only from sewer system revenues, so there is no property-tax pledge behind them.

Why it matters: The cleanup is not optional. A federal consent decree, amended over the years and now anchored by a 2040 deadline, requires Kansas City to capture 85 percent of wet-weather sewage flows. The work will get done either way. The only real question is how it is financed. Revenue bonds carry lower interest rates than the alternatives, and KC Water says the cost of this debt is already built into current rates. Voting the bonds down would not erase the federal obligation; it would force the city into pricier borrowing that pushes sewer rates up faster.

What your YES does: A YES on Question 5 lets Kansas City keep paying for the federally mandated sewer cleanup with the lowest-cost financing available. It protects the Blue River, Brush Creek, and the other waterways that overflows pollute, keeps the city in compliance with its federal consent decree, and holds future sewer-rate increases down compared to rejecting the bonds. It adds no new tax and does not touch your property-tax rate.

The honest cost answer: No new tax and no property-tax increase. These are revenue bonds, and the ballot itself says they are payable solely from sewer system revenues, meaning the sewer fees KC Water already bills. That is the honest part: it is not a promise that your sewer bill will never rise. Sewer rates are set separately each year and have been climbing for over a decade to pay for the federally required cleanup. What a YES does is lock in the cheapest available financing for work the city is legally ordered to do. City staff say the cost of these bonds is already baked into current rates, and that rejecting them would force more expensive borrowing that drives rates up faster.

Key facts:
- Appears on the August 4, 2026 Kansas City ballot as Question 5, authorizing up to $750,000,000 in sanitary sewer revenue bonds.
- Repaid solely from sewer system revenues (the sewer fees KC Water already collects). The ballot pledges no property tax and no general-fund money.
- Funds the court-ordered Smart Sewer program required by a 2010 federal Clean Water Act consent decree to reduce raw-sewage overflows into local creeks, streams, and rivers.
- The consent decree requires the city to capture 85 percent of wet-weather sewage flows in a typical year by a final deadline of 2040.
- The total remaining Smart Sewer program is now estimated at about $2.3 billion, reduced from an initial estimate of roughly $4.5 billion as the decree was renegotiated.
- Kansas City's wastewater system spans roughly 320 square miles and includes 6 wastewater treatment plants, about 40 pumping stations, and more than 2,800 miles of sewer lines, one of the largest systems in the country by area.
- This is the latest in a series of authorizations: voters approved $500 million in sewer bonds in 2012 (since exhausted) and another $750 million in April 2022. Question 5 renews that financing capacity.
- City staff say revenue bonds are the lowest-cost way to borrow for this mandated work, and the council committed to structuring the issuance to minimize the effect on ratepayers.
- Voters approved the prior $750 million wastewater revenue bond authorization in April 2022 with 79% support.

Official ballot language (verbatim): "Shall the City of Kansas City, Missouri issue sanitary sewer revenue bonds in the principal amount of $750,000,000.00 for the purpose of rehabilitating, expanding and improving the City’s sanitary sewer system, including acquiring necessary land and rights of way, in order to provide for its continuing operation and to maintain compliance with federal, state and judicial requirements, with the principal of and interest on said revenue bonds to be payable solely from the revenues derived by the City from the operation of its sanitary sewer system, including all future rehabilitations, improvements and expansions thereto?"

Question 5 FAQs:

**Is the sewer question really not a tax?**
Correct. The ballot language states the bonds are payable solely from the revenues of the sanitary sewer system, meaning the sewer fees KC Water already collects. There is no property-tax pledge and no general-fund pledge. It is not a guarantee that sewer bills stay flat, because rates are set separately by the City, but the bonds themselves add no new tax.

**What is the Smart Sewer program and why is it required?**
It is Kansas City’s multidecade overflow-control program, mandated by a 2010 federal Clean Water Act consent decree. The system was dumping billions of gallons of untreated sewage into local waterways during storms. The court ordered the city to fix it, and a federal judge oversees the schedule.

**What does 85 percent by 2040 mean?**
The consent decree requires Kansas City to capture and treat 85 percent of the sewage-and-stormwater flow that the system sees during wet weather in a typical year, with a final deadline of 2040. Capture has climbed from about 45 percent in 2012 as the work has progressed.

**What happens if Question 5 fails?**
The federal obligation does not go away. The cleanup still has to be finished by 2040. Rejecting the bonds simply forces the city toward more expensive financing with higher interest, which city staff warn would push sewer rates up faster than staying on the revenue-bond path.

**Will my sewer bill go up because of this?**
This question does not set rates and does not freeze them. Sewer rates have been rising for years to pay for the court-ordered cleanup, and that continues regardless. KC Water says using low-cost revenue bonds keeps those increases as small as possible, and that the cost of this debt is already built into current rates.

**Have not voters approved sewer bonds before?**
Yes. Voters authorized $500 million in 2012, which has been spent, and $750 million in April 2022. Question 5 renews that financing capacity with another $750 million so the mandated work can keep going without interruption.

Sources for Question 5:
- Kansas City Election Board, August 4, 2026 sample ballot (Issues Only, official Question 5 language): https://kceb.org/elections/ballot/
- KSHB 41: Kansas City, Missouri, adds 5 measures to August ballot: https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/missouri/kansas-city/kansas-city-missouri-adds-5-measures-to-august-ballot
- KCUR: Kansas City's August election will have 5 bond and tax measures (voter guide): https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2026-05-26/kansas-city-is-asking-voters-to-pass-5-bond-and-tax-measures-in-augusts-election-heres-a-guide
- The Beacon: Your guide to the August 2026 Kansas City ballot questions: https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2026/05/21/kansas-city-ballot-questions-august-2026/
- U.S. EPA: Kansas City, Missouri Clean Water Act Settlement (2010 consent decree terms): https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/kansas-city-missouri-clean-water-act-settlement
- City of Kansas City: Third Amended Consent Decree (85% capture, 2040, ~$2.3 billion): https://www.kcsmartsewer.us/approach/third-amended-consent-decree
- KC Water: Sewer Bond Authorization: https://www.kcwater.us/about-us/sewer-bond-authorization/
- City of Kansas City: Council Places Five Measures on August 4 Ballot: https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/3103/16

## Archived: April 7, 2026 Earnings Tax Renewal (WON)

Together KC led the successful campaign to renew the Kansas City 1% earnings tax on April 7, 2026. It passed with 75.45% voting YES (30,574 yes votes of 40,523 cast). County results: Jackson County 81.49% YES, Clay County 64.74% YES, Platte County 64.41% YES. The earnings tax has been in place since 1963, generates about $373 million annually, and funds roughly 47% of Kansas City's general fund: fire, police, EMS, road maintenance, trash collection, and snow removal. The next renewal vote will come in 2031.

The archived e-tax campaign site lives at:
- https://together-kc.com/etax (campaign home)
- https://together-kc.com/etax/victory (results)
- https://together-kc.com/etax/faqs (e-tax FAQs)
- https://together-kc.com/etax/endorsements (who endorsed renewal)

## Campaign Information

Together KC is a Kansas City civic campaign organization.
- Website: https://together-kc.com
- Email: action@together-kc.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TogetherKC/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/togetherkcmo/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@togetherkcmo
- X: https://x.com/TogetherKCMO
- Threads: https://www.threads.com/@togetherkcmo