The idea of ​​a county prison tax failed in all districts

Opponents of Platte County's proposed 20-year, half-cent sales tax for a 471-bed prison won a defeat, with a majority of voters in every single precinct rejecting the tax.

Results from the Platte County Board of Elections show that the sales tax issue, which would have raised an estimated $408 million over 20 years and represented the largest tax increase in the county's history, was rejected in all 29 precincts and the mail-in ballot also failed.

As reported last week, the county's prison tax was defeated on Tuesday, August 6, with 62.4% voting against and 37.6% voting in favor. After the Board of Elections certified the results on Friday, the final count showed 11,083 voters opposed the prison tax and 6,679 voted in favor.

It was a rigorous process, and Platte County commissioners said they would “start all over again” to try to come up with a proposal that voters would support.

“They got too greedy with this proposal. Too much and for too long. They didn't do their research before the election,” one voter commented on The Landmark's Facebook page under the election results information. Many voters agreed.

The proposal, which was put to a vote last week, called for renovating the existing 180-bed jail and creating 320 additional beds in a three-story addition on the northwest corner near the Platte County Administration Building and the existing jail grounds.

It was the second time in the last five years that a proposal to impose a prison tax was approved by county voters. In April 2019, a proposal calling for a half-cent prison sales tax for 6.25 years and raising $65 million was defeated with 62% against and 38% in favor, the same percentages seen in last week's election.

As in 2024, the 2019 tax proposal was rejected in every single district. The closest result by district in 2019 was in Weatherby Lake, where voters lost 54% to 46%.

ELECTION RESULTS

Last week's prison sales tax proposal was rejected by a wide margin across the county, with voters in the northern parts of the county particularly opposed.

Notable areas of strong opposition included:

Camden Point: 81% against.

Farley, 79% against.

Shiloh/Hoover (east of Platte City) 73% against.

Weston: 73% were against it.

Tracy/Beverly: 72% against.

Dearborn/New Market: 71% against.

Platte City: 70% against.

Edgerton/Ridgely, 67% opposed.

Seven Bridges (south of Platte City) 66% against.

Parkville West (Oasis Clubhouse) 64% against.

Park Hill North (Hwy. 9) 64% against.

Prairie Point (Hope Fellowship Baptist Church polling station) 64% against

Parkville: 63% against.

Par 4 (Walnut Creek Clubhouse) 63% against.

Hampton West (Chapel Ridge area) 62% against.

Riverside: 61% were against.

58% of postal voters were against it.

The closest precinct was Embassy (Embassy Park Clubhouse polling place), where the proposal was opposed by 51% and supported by 49%. The only other precinct where the positive vote was notable in percentage terms was Lake Waukomis, where 45% voted yes.

The issue of bond issuance also failed

In addition to the prison sales tax issue, a Platte County question was also on the ballot, asking voters to approve the issuance of $85 million in bonds to build “an improved prison.” Under state law, a 4/7 majority, or 57.14%, is required to approve bonds. The Platte County question received only 53.75% approval and was therefore defeated.

Even if the bond issue had received a 57.14% vote, the prison project would not have moved forward due to the failed sales tax issue. The sales tax would have been required to service the general obligation bonds.

SIMILAR POSTS: