A preview of the upcoming April election

By John Sharp

There will be numerous candidates for school board seats and several important issues on the April 7 election in Kansas City, and persons have until March 11 to register to vote.

KCMO has a 5-year continuation of the city’s 1% earnings tax on the ballot which takes a simple majority to pass.  A significant amount of the revenue generated by the tax is paid by non-residents who use city streets and services when they are working in our city.

In south Kansas City, the Center School District has a no tax increase $29 million bond issue on the ballot to pay for renovations and improvement of district facilities including improvements to classrooms & buildings, athletic facilities, playgrounds and security.

It also has a no tax increase change in its property tax levy on the ballot which will increase its operating levy by an estimated 17 cents per $100 of assessed valuation of property and decrease its debt service levy by the same amount.

The Hickman Mills School District has a no tax increase $20 million bond issue on the ballot to pay for equipping, renovating and repairing school facilities. Its approval is estimated to actually decrease the district’s debt service levy from $1.10 per $100 of assessed valuation of property to only 80 cents per $100.

That district also has a no tax increase change in its property tax levy on the ballot which will increase its operating levy by an estimated 30 cents per $100 of assessed valuation of property and decrease its debt service levy by the same amount. 

School levy increases only require a simple majority to pass, but bond issues require a 4/7 majority (57.15%).

Both districts also have elections for 3-year terms on their school boards.

In Center, four persons are running for three seats, including in ballot order Melissa Bellante, Marsha Brown, Kristin Stokely and Ira Boydston IV (incumbent).

In Hickman Mills, five persons are running for three seats, including in ballot order Byron Townsend (incumbent), April Cushing (incumbent), Irene Kendrick (incumbent), Evelyn Hildebrand and Matthew E. Williams.