Use Tax Election - November 3, 2026

On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Blue Springs voters will be asked to consider a ballot measure that would establish a 2.5% local use tax. A use tax is applied to certain purchases made from out-of-state retailers when local sales tax is not collected at the time of purchase, such as some online transactions.

If approved by voters, the proposed use tax would increase the amount of money available for street maintenance, allowing the City to complete currently outstanding street maintenance by 2032, rather than 2036.

Ballot Language

Shall the City of Blue Springs, Missouri impose a local use tax at the same rate as the total local sales tax rate, currently 2.5%, provided that if the local sales tax rate is reduced or raised by voter approval, the local use tax rate shall also be reduced or raised by the same action?

If this question is approved, the City of Blue Springs would begin collecting a use tax from sales made to Blue Springs buyers by online and out-of-state vendors that are not currently taxed. The funds derived from the use tax will fund streets and other capital improvements.

FAQs

The use tax applies to and impacts purchases from out-of-state vendors. A use tax is the equivalent of a sales tax on purchases made from out-of-state sellers by instate buyers and on certain taxable transactions.

A local use tax is applied instead of a local sales tax to goods purchased from certain online and out-of-state vendors for delivery and use in Blue Springs. 

  • Purchases will never be subject to both local sales tax and use tax
  • The local use tax must mirror the local sales tax
  • Voter approval is required for the City to receive local use tax revenue on goods purchased for use locally from out-of-state vendors
A buyer will never pay both a local use tax and sales tax on the same transaction.
The City will establish a 2.5% rate at the same rate as the total local sales tax rate.
April 1, 2027
If approved by voters, a Citizen Oversight Committee will be established to review how use tax revenues are spent and help ensure the funds are used as intended for street and capital improvement projects.
Yes. The state of Missouri and more than 200 Missouri cities already have a voter-approved Use Tax in place, including Excelsior Springs, Gladstone, Grandview, Independence, Kansas City, Lee’s Summit, Liberty and St. Joseph. Currently, the City of Blue Springs receives no Use Tax revenue.
  • Catalog purchases
  • Magazine subscriptions
  • Cross-border purchases of goods
  • TV marketing purchases
  • Computer software and hardware
  • Mail-order supply purchases
  • Furniture and equipment purchases from out-of-state sellers
  • Purchases of goods bought over the Internet
  • Purchases of goods bought over the telephone
  • Purchases of goods from outside the United States
The City will dedicate revenue from the Use Tax to streets and other capital improvements. It is estimated that dedicating Use Tax revenue to streets would allow the City to complete the overlay of all lane miles by 2040 and establish a sustainable 10- to 15-year Preventive Pavement Maintenance Program. An example would be the neighborhood of Stone Creek. If the Use Tax passes, streets would be paved in 2030 rather than 2034.
A local use tax would place local businesses on equal footing with out-of-state vendors. Out-of-state vendors currently avoid local taxes, putting local businesses at a competitive disadvantage. A use tax would eliminate the disparity in tax rates collected by local and out-of-state sellers by imposing the same rate on all sellers.
It applies to the same basket of goods as the sales tax. It’s applied at the same rate as the local sales tax.
Route AA, Walnut Road and Wyatt Road are not part of the overlay projects. They are separate capital improvement projects that are already in progress.