Our town. Our future.
The first thing I recognized when I moved to Ottawa was the sincerity of everyone I met. Whether you were born here or have adopted Ottawa as your home, there is genuine pride in “our town.” There is also a genuine interest in making sure Ottawa is a great place to live, work, and raise our families. Recently, we asked you what you value
most about our community, what needs to be improved, and what you’d like to see the city prioritize over the next few years.
We asked because our community has an important decision to make. The one-cent sales tax that Ottawa residents approved 10 years ago is up for renewal. On November 4, you will have the opportunity to decide whether our community continues the one cent initiative, or takes a different path for funding key priorities. In this report, we’ve outlined how the one-cent sales tax has been utilized, and the plan you helped us build for continued improvement and growth if the one cent is renewed.
Thank you for making Ottawa your home, and thank you for your continued engagement so we can map out Ottawa’s future together.
BRIAN SILCOTT
City Manager
(785) 229-3637
bsilcott@ottawaks.gov
QUICK LINKS
2025 Community Report
How has the one cent been used?
REDUCED CITY PROPERTY TAXES BY $30.06 MILLION
The one-cent sales tax has been used to hold down property taxes for homeowners and business owners by $30.063 million over the last 10 years. This is roughly a 30% reduction (13.87 mill reduction) for city property owners each year, and has kept Ottawa residents from bearing all of the costs for services. The one-cent sales tax allows the city to spread the cost of services across more people – like visitors and neighbors who live outside the city limits and do not pay city property taxes, but who utilize city streets, parks, police and first responder services.
ESTABLISHED SECOND INDUSTRIAL PARK
FOR MORE NEW JOBS
With Ottawa’s first industrial park at capacity (which created 2,401 new local jobs), employers told us we needed more shovel-ready ground in order to compete for new development and jobs with Gardner, Edgerton and other communities. To that end, the one-cent sales tax helped establish Proximity Park, our community’s second industrial park, as well as build out the needed infrastructure (streets, curbs, gutters and utilities) to make the park shovel-ready. This initiative has opened up 1,600 acres for future employers, which will allow us to double the job base. The first development is already underway with the sale of 300 acres in Proximity Park to Lightfield Energy. Lightfield is slated to build a new data center facility at the park, which will create 200 to 300 new Ottawa jobs at full build-out. Lightfield is also estimated to pay $7 to $8 million per year in property taxes at full build-out, which will reduce the property tax burden on all other taxpayers. The remaining 1,300 acres are now available for our economic development leaders to promote and secure additional new employers.
FUNDED POLICE, FIRE, STREETS & PARKS
General fund services, such as police, fire, streets and parkss, that have been fully or partially funded by the one cent include:
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• 6.58 firefighter positions to keep our fire crews fully staffed
• Upgraded communication equipment in fire trucks so dispatch can provide
up-to-date, real-time information while trucks are en route to an emergency
• Fire equipment upgrades, including hoses, tools and breathing apparatuses
• Added police department Crisis Responder and Community Police Officer program
to respond to mental health crisis needs and homelessness issues
• Added two police K9 programs to increase capabilities for drug identification,
missing person searches, and search & apprehension of violent felons
• Added Crime Mapping program to provide daily updates to the community on
reported crimes
• 27,000 potholes patched and 23,250 feet of sidewalks repaired
• Increased crews for plowing & salting during winter weather to speed up snow
removal and ice control
• ADA ramps, asphalt patching, crack sealing, and sealing of gravel streets
• Improvements and maintenance of our parks, cemeteries and playground equipment
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How will it be used if renewed?
In addition to being used to hold down property taxes by 13.87 mills – which has resulted in a $30.06 million reduction in city property taxes over the last 10 years – the one cent will be used for:
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PAVEMENT
Increase the resources available for street and infrastructure improvements throughout the city, including maintaining, repairing and rebuilding streets; making repairs to sidewalks, curbs and gutters; repairing potholes; upgrading stormwater facilities; and upgrading street lighting.
PARKS & POOL
Maintaining and improving our community parks, walking trails, recreation amenities, and aquatics, including addressing the community’s aging pool.
POWER
Improving, rebuilding, and maintaining our electric and water utility infrastructure so homeowners and business owners continue to have reliable access to power, in addition to ensuring our infrastructure remains up-to-date for future power and water capacity needs..
PUBLIC SAFETY
Funding essential services in our community, such as police and fire programs, without shifting these costs onto property taxes. This includes services currently funded by the one cent – police K9 program, community police officer and crisis responder program, crime mapping communication system, and firefighter positions.
Frequently Asked Questions
WILL THIS INCREASE TAXES?
No. This is not a new tax. If passed by Ottawa voters, there would not be any change for taxpayers. We would continue to pay the same sales tax rate we pay now. And, the sales tax would continue to hold down our property taxes by 13.87 mills.
HOW DID THE CITY DECIDE TO PUT THIS
ON THE BALLOT?
The one-cent initiative is set to expire next year. The city conducted a community survey in July to determine whether Ottawa voters were interested in continuing the one cent and what priorities they would like to see funded by the one cent if renewed.
The results can be found here
WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF FUNDING SERVICES THROUGH
A SALES TAX VS. PROPERTY TAXES?
Funding services through the one-cent sales tax helps ensure that everyone who uses city police, fire, streets, and parks help fund those services. When these services are funded solely through property taxes, residents in the city limits bear all of the costs.
IF APPROVED IN NOVEMBER, IS THERE A MECHANISM TO
END THE ONE-CENT INITIATIVE LATER ON?
Yes, if Ottawa residents decide in future years that they no longer want to continue the one-cent initiative, it can be eliminated by a simple majority vote of the city commission.
IF NOT APPROVED IN NOVEMBER, HOW WOULD THESE
SERVICES AND PROJECTS BE FUNDED?
If not approved, new projects – like street and parks improvements, and addressing the pool – would likely take more time to accomplish or be placed on hold. Other services, like police and fire funding, would need to be shifted to alternative funding sources like property taxes.
WHAT WILL THE QUESTION LOOK LIKE ON MY BALLOT?
Shall the City of Ottawa, Kansas be authorized to levy a retailers’ sales tax in the amount of one percent (1.00%) within the City, and to use the revenue from the tax in whole or in part for general purposes, including but not limited to:
(a) to fund street infrastructure improvements including the maintenance and rebuilding of roads, sidewalks, storm water facilities, and street lighting;
(b) the development, construction, and maintenance of city parks, quality of life amenities, and recreational facilities for the community;
(c) the improving, rebuilding, and maintaining of city utility infrastructure;
(d) funding general government operations to limit reliance on property taxes; and
(e) all things related and necessary to construct and finance such projects including bonds and other obligations.
Provided that such tax shall take effect July 1, 2026, the day following the expiration of the existing one percent (1.00%) special purpose city retailers’ sales tax.
Election Day is
TUESDAY,
NOVEMBER 4
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When and where to vote
VOTE BY MAIL
Request a mail ballot by October 28
VOTE EARLY AT THE COURTHOUSE
October 20 through October 31 (weekdays) – 8AM to 4:30PM
Monday, November 3 – 8AM to noon
VOTE ON ELECTION DAY
Vote in person on election day – Tuesday, November 4
Polls will be open from 7AM to 7PM
Find your polling place