Wyandotte Voters Decide on Proposed Sales Tax to Fund Permanent Homeless Shelter

Wyandotte County voters will decide in November whether to approve a new ¼-cent sales tax that could fund a permanent, year-round emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness. The proposed tax would last 10 years and is expected to initially generate about $12 million a year, with county officials estimating it could bring in nearly $140 million over the decade as sales tax collections grow.

The revenue would be dedicated to health-related services, including indigent care, behavioral health, substance-use treatment, preventive health care, and the county health department. County commissioners would ultimately decide how the money is divided among those needs, though officials have made clear that creating a permanent emergency shelter would be a major priority. Currently, the county does not have a year-round emergency shelter, operating only a temporary shelter during some of the coldest winter weather.

The county has already assembled $4 million that could be used to acquire or develop a permanent shelter. This includes $2 million connected to Cerner Corp.’s departure from its Village West campus and another $2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding. Interim County Administrator Alan Howze stated that revenue from the proposed sales tax could fill that gap while also supporting organizations that provide mental health, substance-use, and other services to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

A permanent location has not been selected. The Wilhelmina Gill Multi-Service Center at 645 Nebraska Ave., which currently serves as the county’s temporary cold-weather shelter, is not expected to become the permanent facility. Supporters say the tax could provide a more dependable source of money for health and social services at a time when other funding is uncertain.

Nikki Richardson, executive director of Justice for Wyandotte, said unmet health and social needs often contribute to homelessness, involvement with the justice system, and other community problems. She also argues that a sales tax allows some of the money spent by visitors in the heavily developed western part of the county, particularly around Village West and the Legends, to support services throughout Wyandotte County.

A county survey conducted earlier this year found residents were divided about special sales taxes overall. Thirty-nine percent said they were supportive or very supportive, 34% were opposed, and 27% were neutral. Among possible uses, homeless services and affordable housing received the strongest support.

The commission voted 6-3 on Aug. 20 to place the countywide health tax on the Nov. 3 ballot. Commissioners William Burns Jr., Chuck Stites, and Andrew Kump voted against it. The decision reflects a community grappling with the moral imperative to care for vulnerable neighbors, a theme echoed in Proverbs 31:8-9, which calls for speaking up for those who cannot defend themselves.

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