Wyandotte County voters will decide on Nov. 3, 2026, whether to approve a countywide 0.25% sales tax for health needs. A separate 0.375% sales tax for parks and public infrastructure in Kansas City, Kansas, will also be on the ballot, according to The Beacon. The health measure is expected to raise about $12 million a year. The Beacon reports that collections would begin April 1, 2027, and that the tax would last 10 years, generating nearly $140 million over that period.
Health needs and shelter capacity
The 2023 County Health Rankings placed Wyandotte County 103rd among Kansas’ 104 counties in health outcomes and 104th in health factors, according to the Kansas Health Institute. Randy Callstrom, CEO of the Wyandotte Behavioral Health Network, told KCTV5 that poverty contributes to the county’s poor health record, that half of his clients lack insurance, and that health-care access and homelessness are connected concerns.
Wyandotte County has no year-round emergency shelter and instead relies on a temporary facility that opens on the coldest winter nights, The Community Voice reported. The county has $4 million in capital funding for a permanent shelter facility, including $2 million associated with Cerner Corp.’s former Village West campus and $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, according to The Beacon. That report identifies ongoing operating costs as a separate funding need. The Community Voice’s report on the current shelter is available here.
County officials have discussed a hub for homeless outreach and related services, with Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Christal Watson telling KCTV5 that officials were considering how a model used in Kansas City, Missouri, might be adapted locally. The Community Voice reported that the Missouri program began with $1 million in funding and set a first-year goal of moving 600 unhoused people into housing. The Beacon’s account of the Wyandotte proposal says the tax revenue could support shelter operations.
Tax preference and oversight
Watson told KCTV5 she prefers the sales tax to raising the mill levy or property taxes. She also said that, if the measure passes, her team would form a committee to manage the money and provide an annual report and an independent audit. Those commitments and Callstrom’s comments are based on KCTV5’s interviews.
