1/2-Cent Sales Tax - November 4, 2025 Ballot Issue

Last Content Update: Sunday, September 21, 2025

On November 4, 2025, voters will be asked to authorize a 0.50 percent (¹/₂ of a cent) sales tax to finance the costs of constructing, furnishing, and equipping improvements and renovations to the County's jail facility and Law Enforcement Center.

Know the Facts about 1/2-cent Sales Tax (brochure)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Where will the jail be located?
A. We are still working on land acquisition, which requires confidentiality to protect taxpayers. A proposed location will be announced once finalized, likely in October.

Q. Why not just remodel the current Law Enforcement Center?
A. The jail’s location on the 3rd floor has been a design flaw since 1982, as inmates can tamper with plumbing, causing system failures and flooding. Experts strongly recommend against housing a jail on an upper floor. A new facility would resolve these issues and provide a safe, efficient environment for inmates and staff for the next 40 years.

Q. What is the timeline for the project?
A. The BoCC voted on the ballot referendum on August 4th. The jail location will be announced by October, and the public will vote on November 4, 2025. If approved, sales tax collection would begin in April 2026, with construction bonding starting shortly after.

Q. What happens if the sales tax vote fails?
A. The need of the community for a jail (or an alternative inmate housing solution) does not go away. Neither does the need for a remodeled Law Enforcement Center. The only two revenue streams available to the City and County are sales tax and property tax.

Key Dates

What	When
Register to vote or Update your registration	10/14/2025 is the last day
Vote Early	Monday - Friday 10/20 - 10/31	9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
	Extended Hours Tuesday 10/28	9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
	Weekend Hours Saturday 11/01	10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
	Last Day Early Vote Monday 11/03	9:00 a.m. - (noon)
Vote on Election Day	11/04/2025 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Ballot Question

Shall the following be adopted?

Shall Finney County, Kansas, be authorized to: (1) issue sales tax/general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $87,500,000 to pay the costs to (a) construct, furnish and equip improvements and renovations to the County’s jail facility and law enforcement center; (b) pay for and make all other necessary improvements and temporary relocations related thereto; and (c) pay costs of issuance for any bonds issued by the County for such projects (the “Project”); and (2) impose a one-half percent (0.5%) countywide retailers’ sales tax (the “Sales Tax”) to pay all or a portion of the costs of the Project, including debt service requirements on the bonds issued to finance or refinance such Project, with the collection of the Sales Tax to commence on April 1, 2026, or as soon thereafter as permitted by law, and the Sales Tax shall terminate when all costs associated with the financing of the Project, including the repayment of any bonds issued to pay such costs, shall have been paid; all pursuant to the authority of K.S.A. 12-187 et seq., as amended? Pursuant to law, the County will retain the Sales Tax revenue in its entirety.