April 5th Ballot Questions - BIG Improvements

Click here watch the video on Question 1: No Tax Increase Street GO Bonds

How will the funds be spent?

• 20 MORE miles of streets reconstructed
• 90,000 MORE feet of curb replaced
• 115 MORE sidewalk ramps - ADA compliant

(PDF, 4MB)  

Click the map to make it full size. 

If passed, projected schedule of street improvements.

Ballot Language 

Shall the City of Belton, Missouri, issue its general obligation bonds in the amount of $21,000,000 to construct, reconstruct, extend and improve the streets and roads of the City, and to acquire any easements and rights-of-way?

Previous Successful Street Reconstruction Project

There is more to do after the city recently completed the rebuild of 17.5 miles of residential roads and 48,000 feet of curb as well as bringing 113 sidewalk ramps into ADA compliance following voter approval of GO bonds in 2019.

FAQs: General Obligation Bond & Street Reconstruction(PDF, 1MB)

Click here to watch the video about Questions 2 & 3: Water Line Replacement

Why is this important?

Belton’s water infrastructure is failing - far past its useful life. The two funding streams – revenue bonds and the extension of the ½ cent capital improvements sales tax – will work together to replace Belton’s aged-out water lines in just five years.

How will the funds be spent?

• Replace failing water line infrastructure over the next five years.

Ballot Language 

Shall the City of Belton, Missouri, issue its waterworks revenue bonds in an amount not to exceed $60,000,000 to acquire, construct and improve the City’s waterworks system, including but not limited to, the replacement of water infrastructure and to build an additional water tower, with the principal of and interest on said revenue bonds to be payable from the revenues derived by the City from the operation of its waterworks system, including all future extensions and improvements thereto?

How will the funds be spent?

• Pay for the revenue bonds for water line replacement (Question 2) without a rate increase.

Ballot Language 

Shall the City of Belton, Missouri, be authorized to eliminate the termination provision of the capital improvement sales tax and continue to impose its capital improvement sales tax of one half of one percent for the purpose of funding the costs of capital improvements for the City, including the payment of debt service on financings incurred to construct capital improvements for the City?

FAQs: Revenue Bonds and Water Line Infrastructure(PDF, 4MB)

(PDF, 2MB)  

Click here to watch the video about Question 4: Use Tax for Pathway, Pavements, Pets & Parks

How will the funds be spent?

• Widen I-49 to six lanes from 155th Street to North Cass Parkway (regional partnership with Cass County, Raymore and Grandview)
• Trail improvements
• Sidewalk grant program
• Dog park improvements
• Splash pad & park improvements
• Ongoing street/stormwater projects & maintain city services

City Council approved the creation of an Oversight Committee to ensure funds are spent as promised. (Resolution 2022-04(PDF, 83KB))

Explanatory Statement: Use Tax is collected instead of sales tax when a resident obtains retail goods from an out-of-state vendor in a taxable transaction not subject to sales taxes. The State of Missouri and Cass County already collect Use Taxes on these purchases. Currently, the City receives no Use Tax revenue. If the voters approve a Belton Use Tax, purchases from out of state businesses delivered to a Belton address will be taxed the same as an item purchased in a Belton store. At no time are a Use Tax and sales tax collected on the same transaction, it is one or the other, never both. A purchase will never be taxed twice.

Ballot Language

Shall the City of Belton, Missouri, impose a local City use tax at the same rate as the total local City sales tax rate (currently three and one-quarter percent (3.25%)) provided that if the local sales tax rate is reduced or raised by voter approval, the local use tax rate shall be reduced or raised by the same action?

What is a local use tax?

• A use tax levels the playing field for Belton businesses (both online & in-store).
• A local use tax applies to the purchase of goods from out-of-state businesses delivered to a Belton address.
• The State of Missouri mandates a local use tax be the same rate as the city’s sales tax, currently 3.25%.
• A purchase will never be subject to both a use tax and a sales tax.

How is a use tax different from sales tax?

• While local sales tax is collected from brick-and-mortar retail stores, a use tax will be collected on purchases made from out-of-state businesses that ship to Belton customers.
• Currently, the city does not collect local sales tax on out-of-state and online purchases.

A purchase is only taxed once, either with a sales tax or a use tax - never both.

FAQs: Use Tax(PDF, 744KB)