The Blue Springs Parks Sales Tax is a ½-cent sales tax dedicated exclusively to improving and maintaining our parks, trails, and recreation facilities. First approved by voters in 2017 and renewed without sunset in 2021, this funding source has transformed the way we care for and invest in our parks system.
WHAT THE PARK SALES TAX FUNDS
The ½-cent Parks Sales Tax generates approximately $3 million annually, and all funds are legally required to be used for local parks only. These dollars help support:
- Maintaining Existing Parks
Critical repairs, replacements, and upgrades, such as replacing aging equipment, resurfacing trails, and modernizing infrastructure, are all funded through this tax. - Improving Existing Parks
Enhancements such as restroom installations, splash pads, improved play surfaces, and other new amenities at community parks like Young Park and Burrus Old Mill have been made possible through this dedicated revenue.
🛈 This funding cannot be used for non-park uses, such as street improvements or public safety. However, by covering major park investments with this dedicated fund, the City can allocate more general fund dollars toward other community needs.
BACKGROUND & PROGRAM HISTORY
Before the 2017 Park Sales Tax ballot, the ½-cent Park Sales Tax was not in existence. Without a dedicated funding source, many of the park facilities began to show signs of significant wear and were in need of replacement. Some facilities had become safety concerns and had to be closed to use.
A citizen survey was conducted in 2016 as part of the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan to gauge community support for a Park Sales Tax, potential renewal time frames, and the types of projects that might be funded through a proposed tax.
Following this input, an ordinance was approved at the January 17, 2017 City Council Meeting to place a five-year, ½-cent Park Sales Tax on the April 4, 2017 ballot. The measure passed with nearly 70% approval, establishing the City’s first-ever dedicated parks funding source. The tax officially went into effect on October 1, 2017.
On April 6, 2021, Blue Springs voters overwhelmingly approved an indefinite renewal of the Parks Sales Tax, ensuring long-term reinvestment in the City's parks, trails, and recreation facilities for years to come.
Since its passage, the Park Sales Tax has funded numerous high-impact projects, including several new playgrounds, the City’s first splash pad, facility upgrades and trail improvements across the City.