Lee’s Summit voters are being asked on Aug. 4 to sign off on a one-quarter-cent sales tax that city officials say would pull in about $6 million a year to tackle chronic flooding and aging stormwater pipes. City leaders are pitching the measure as a way to shift from emergency patch jobs to routine maintenance, more crews on the ground, and tighter engineering oversight. If voters give the green light, the tax would take effect on a date to be determined, and the proposal indicates proceeds would be used for stormwater work.
Why the city put a tax on the ballot
City documents reference a figure of about $6.1 million each year for stormwater work. Right now, the city budgets around $800,000 annually for stormwater operations, which covers a single maintenance crew and rented equipment and leaves the program mostly in crisis-response mode. That gap is the key reason staff and the Public Works Committee called for a dedicated revenue stream, according to the City of Lee's Summit.
How it reached voters
The City Council voted to place the question on the Aug. 4 primary ballot after the Public Works Committee reviewed how to pay for stormwater work. Officials reviewed funding options, including taxes and fees, before advancing a sales tax proposal. Legistar includes the ballot language for the measure.
Demand for service
City records list 1,856 work orders and 3,067 service requests over the past decade, or roughly 490 calls for help a year, for problems like flooding, sinkholes and clogged drains. In public meetings, officials have described the current approach to many of those calls as temporarily closing roads while awaiting repairs, a strategy that works only until the next big storm rolls through. Broader context and council background on the issue have been covered in local news reports.
What the money would buy
If the measure passes, city officials say the dedicated fund would pay for two additional field crews, allow the city to buy equipment it now rents, and add engineers, supervisors and customer-service staff. The plan leans heavily on preventive maintenance, such as inspecting pipes, clearing inlets and fixing erosion before it turns into full-blown emergencies, while also setting aside money for small capital replacements. That strategy, the city argues, should cut long-term costs and help improve water quality, according to City of Lee's Summit materials.
What it would cost residents
Staff provided an estimate of potential household costs in their analysis. The Public Works Committee set a target service level of about $6.1 million a year and compared that to options like a property tax or user fee before settling on the sales tax proposal. Those discussions and the underlying staff analysis are laid out in Legistar.
How to vote
The stormwater sales tax question will appear on the Aug. 4 primary ballot. Residents who live in the Jackson and Cass County portions of Lee’s Summit should check their county election websites for polling locations and early-voting details. The city is offering an informational page with FAQs and background, while county election offices provide sample ballots and absentee-voting instructions. For official election rules and polling information, voters can consult the Jackson County Election Board.
