Minority Of Voters Might Decide Kansas City Streetcar District

More than 3,000 registered voters live in the bounds of the proposed Kansas City streetcar district.  Only a handful of people have requested ballots to vote on forming a streetcar taxing district.

A deadline is looming. 

The last day to apply for a ballot for the summer election is 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Those who don’t apply for a ballot cannot vote.  Fewer than 400 have applied as of today.

The Kansas City Business Journal tallies number of applicants so far at 5 percent, and says 50 who did apply failed to provide proof of being registered to vote.

The ballot issue will decide whether the city can form a taxing district that may later levy property and sales taxes within the planned district.

Taxes would provide $75 million of the local portion to build and run the streetcar line.  But first, the initial election would create or kill the taxing district.