Ladies and gentlemen, again here is a case where we can control our own destiny. I always am stating that the southern portion of Platte County is getting older and we are competing with Prairie Village and Johnson County for attracting young people. I lived this scenario in 1998.
Imagine that you are just out of college and get a job (we are imagining remember, the "hope and change economy" is gone and people can get jobs). You are moving to Kansas City and don't know anything about the area. You pull up some houses or apartments. You get in the car to drive around and check them out. You head up I-29 and get off the highway and travel down some narrow 2 lane road with post-WWII housing stock-see NW 72nd Street or Green Hills. You look around and think this area is hillbilly central. You head down I-35 and exit onto a nice improved street with curbs, sidewalks, and street trees in Prairie Village or south Johnson County. You decide that Kansas is a better place to live based upon first impressions. I of course chose Platte County because this area is the best value for a class A school district and access to employment.
That being said, Platte County has made a ton of progress since 2002. Both the County and KCMO have invested in street improvements that have attracted businesses and new residents. For years Platte County was a donor county as shoppers went to Clay or other counties. Now the County attracts outside non-residents who shop here.
If the County had not approved that road tax in 2003, Barry Road and I-29 would be a disaster like 152 and I-35. Congress in front of Park Hill High School would still be asphalt slabs without and sidewalks or bike facilities and kids would be walking in the streets.
Numerous gravel roads in the County would be gravel and some bridges would have been closed rather than replaced. The southern portion of the county would be struggling to maintain home values. Folks north of 152 may think this won't impact them, but if the southern portion of the county doesn't remain strong, eventually it will become an anchor dragging all of us down.
Without renewing this tax, Northwood Road in front of Southeast Elementary will probably never be improved. NW 72nd Street from I-29 over to Chinn Elementary and Martin Luther Academy will continue to have people walking in the street and unsafe intersections. Green Hills south of Barry Road will continue to suck. Route 45 out to I-435 won't be widened and federal and state dollars will go elsewhere.
Numerous county roads that were paved with asphalt 10 years ago will revert back to gravel roads since asphalt only lasts about 10 years before it needs to be resurfaced. Jones-Meyer Road will stop being a direct connection to Leavenworth County attracting Kansas dollars to shop at Zona Rosa.
Am I being a hypocrite given my other tax rants? Maybe, but government spending on roads, safety, and defense is really why government should exist. The County Public Works Department is a rag tag outfit and is extremely efficient at squeezing value out of every dollar they get. They still operate out of a metal farm building and chain link fenced yard north of the fairgrounds.
We can improve Platte County and keep tax dollars within the county and finish building out the arterial network in southern Platte County. This map shows the progress made since 2000 and what still needs to be done. Roads in red need vertical improvements, sidewalks, curbs, and street lights. Renewing the tax will move us a great deal forward in improving our street network to keep Platte County strong.
Here is the flyer from supporters of the renewal.
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