By Elana Gordon
Kansas City, MO – The Johnson County Board of Commissioners approved a proposed one-eighth-cent sales tax to help fund the Johnson County Research and Education Triangle. The measure now goes on the November ballot, where county residents will have final say over it. Commissioner Doug Wood says he supports the proposed tax - despite some reservations - because it would bring important economic and higher-education opportunities to the region.
Wood: I think the general public and certainly I was concerned about why should Johnson county tax payers vote for a tax to pay for projects that are the state's obligation, especially higher education. And the answer to that is that it's a matter of necessity.
If the tax is ultimately approved, an estimated 15 million dollars in annual revenue would create a National Food and Animal Health Institute in Olathe, expand engineering, science, and math programs at KU's Edwards Campus, and build a cancer clinical research center in Fairway.
Funding for health care coverage on KCUR has been provided by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.
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