Kansas City voters will be asked in April's election whether they'll support a renewal of the city's public safety sales tax, which city officials want to use to fund a new jail. Plus: A small park in Westwood has sparked legal battles, heated city council meetings and even protests. Now, voters will decide its fate.
Voters will be asked on their April 8 ballots whether they'll support a renewal of Kansas City's public safety sales tax. City officials say they want to use the tax to fund a new jail, among other things, and have the support of the mayor and much of City Council. However, as KCUR's race and culture reporter Celisa Calacal discusses with Steve Kraske on Up To Date, opponents of the measure are concerned a new jail won't properly address increasing crime in the city.
In Westwood, controversy over whether to sell a small park at 50th Street and Rainbow Boulevard to a developer has resulted in two years of heated feelings and court challenges. Residents are weighing in now through a vote-by-mail election that ends April 1. KCUR newsroom intern Kate Mays shares the dramatic saga to help us to understand what's happening and why.
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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox, Emily Younker and Gabe Rosenberg.
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