– Kansas City has had an additional 3/8-cents sales tax for 20 years to fund bus service.
– Voters to decide on Nov. 7 if to continue with the tax or cut almost a third of the bus service.
– The tax is seen to affect low-income families the most.
A Fork in the Road for Kansas City’s Public Transit
For two decades now, the residents of Kansas City, Missouri, have been shouldering an extra 3/8-cents sales tax on all their purchases. This isn’t just another revenue stream for the city coffers – the proceeds go toward subsidizing the city’s bus service.
Bus Funding or Burden?
These additional cents have been acting as the lifeline for the city’s bus service, comprising nearly one-third of the overall bus funding. Arguably, it’s a frustrating dilemma: remove the tax and deny the working-class citizens of essential public transportation, or continue the tax, burdening those who can least afford it. And now, this 20-year-old question will become a ballot box one on November 7.
The Breezy Take
This upcoming vote highlights a common issue of social equity in public service funding. It forces us to contemplate whether the cost of these essential services, in this case, the bus service, should be shouldered collectively through taxing everyone – including the most disadvantaged. Alternatively, should funding be restructured to minimize the burden on the low-income community? This decision is not just about a sales tax or bus cuts, it marks a crucial turning point for Kansas City’s public transit future and socio-economic fairness.
Original article: https://kcbeacon.org/stories/2023/10/30/kansas-city-ballot-question-1-bus-funding/