On August 1, the Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners certified the results of the mail-in ballot that asked voters to approve creation of a special tax district to help pay for a streetcar.
The mail-in election ran from June 19-July 31. With 460 ballots cast, 69% of voters approved creation of the Transportation Development District (319 votes approval; 141 votes disapproval).
The streetcar as currently proposed would connect the City Market area and Union Station, with stops along Main Street, and be fully operational by 2015.
Although voters approved creation of the district, they will still have to approve the exact tax rates in another election. In the mean time, the City Council of Kansas City approved a resolution in a meeting August 2 that calls for incorporation of a nonprofit Kansas City Streetcar Authority, which would handle the management and operation of the streetcar system.