Leawood residents will decide whether to approve a new 5/8-cent sales tax in a special mail-ballot election on March 2, 2027.

The Leawood Governing Body voted Sept. 8 to place the tax question on the ballot, according to KCTV5. The proposed tax would replace the city's existing 1/8-cent levy and fund street construction, stormwater improvements and public safety. The vote tally was not included in published accounts of the meeting.

Based on 2025 collections, city officials estimated the new rate would bring in about $7.8 million a year. The current 1/8-cent tax generates roughly $1.5 million annually.

"This is ultimately a decision for Leawood voters," Mayor Marc Elkins said in a statement reported by KCTV5. "Our responsibility is to plan for the long-term needs of our community and give residents clear information about the choices in front of all of us."

Why the increase

Much of Leawood's stormwater infrastructure dates to the late 1960s through the mid-1980s. About 90,000 linear feet of corrugated metal pipe remains underground, rusting through and caving in. City staff handles about 10 sinkhole reports a year tied to the failing pipes, the Johnson County Post reported.

At the current spending rate of $1.5 million a year, replacing the rest of that pipe would take another 55 years, according to staff estimates.

Leawood also faces the loss of about $1.5 million a year from a Johnson County public safety sales tax set to expire March 31, 2027. That money currently helps fund police and fire services.

"We are reaching this very critical time in our city where things are starting to fail," Ward Four Councilmember Julie Cain said at an Aug. 10 work session, as reported by the Johnson County Post.

How the new tax would work

The current 1/8-cent tax is set to expire in June 2028. If voters approve the new rate, the old tax would be repealed early, on Sept. 30, 2027. The new 5/8-cent tax would take effect Oct. 1, 2027, and remain in place for 10 years, through Sept. 30, 2037, according to the city's meeting agenda.

Revenue would be split among three categories: street construction and infrastructure, stormwater improvements and public safety.

In 2015, the city identified 105,000 linear feet of corrugated metal pipe. Replacement work that began in 2016 has brought that figure to 90,000, using bonds and proceeds from the existing tax.

What's next

The city chose a standalone mail-ballot election over placing the question on a primary or general election ballot. Ballots will be mailed to registered Leawood voters.