Seward County commissioners call Nov. 4 vote on half‑percent sales tax to fund roads and bridges

Seward County commissioners voted 4–1 on Monday to call a special‑question election asking voters whether to impose a one‑half percent countywide retailer sales tax to pay for roadway and bridge construction, maintenance and improvements, with collection to begin April 1, 2026 (or as soon thereafter as allowed by law) and to terminate 10 years after commencement.

The resolution (Res. 2025‑13) was presented to the Board following recent town‑hall meetings. The resolution states the sales tax would be imposed under KSA 12‑187 as amended and that, if approved by voters, the county would retain all proceeds to fund roads and bridges. Commissioners voted to place the question on the Nov. 4, 2025 ballot; the motion was seconded and carried on a roll call that recorded four yes votes and one no. The transcript records the roll call naming Tammy Sutherland Abbott, Steve Helm, Scott Carr and Commissioner Fuller as voting yes; the single no vote was not read aloud in the roll call segment in the record.

The vote follows a presentation from CW Harper of engineering firm Kirk & Michael, which outlined a draft road‑maintenance program for the county and described how engineers propose to prioritize pavement work. Harper said engineers will use PASER (pavement condition) ratings for each mile, group segments for maintenance or overlay work, and combine those ratings with average daily traffic to determine priorities. Harper told commissioners the intent is to keep pavement in a condition where routine maintenance is cost‑effective; once a pavement’s base fails, he said, more expensive mill‑and‑replace or full‑reconstruction work is likely required.

Harper also noted opportunities to pair a sales tax with state and federal cost‑share programs and grant applications, and said letters of local support and private cost contributions strengthen cost‑share applications. He mentioned KDOT and off‑system bridge funding windows, and said some county bridges are in good condition while a few county structures require more attention.

Commissioners discussed timing and the mechanics of collecting and retaining sales tax revenue if voters approve the measure. The posted resolution specifies collection would commence on or after April 1, 2026 and terminate 10 years later. The county finance staff and counsel were cited as the points of contact for implementation steps after election results.

Other business during the meeting included administrative updates: county staff reported two new workers' compensation claims (both for retired employees), and a Wichita law firm gave an update on tax‑sale status and title work, saying an amended petition had been filed and a sale was anticipated by year‑end. The Board approved a tuition‑assistance agreement for a county employee and authorized a special check of $7,740 to Washburn University to preserve that employee’s enrollment for summer and fall classes.

The Board also approved routine agenda items by consensus, added a personnel executive session to the agenda, and recessed into attorney‑client and personnel executive sessions (no action was taken in the sessions).