photo by: Michael Glenn/Journal-World

Eudora firefighting vehicles are pictured in October 2026 a the Eudora Fire Department in downtown Eudora.

A half-cent sales tax in Eudora could support three full-time firefighters and give the city around-the-clock-fire protection for the first time in its history if voters approve the measure on election day.

The 0.5% sales tax would be spent on public safety expenses and cover the roughly $330,000 price tag three full-time firefighters would cost, City Manager Zack Daniel told the Journal-World. Those who purchase items in Eudora wouldn’t feel a tax increase, as the tax would go into effect when another 0.5% sales tax expires.

Currently, the city covers public safety equipment costs through property taxes in its general fund. In each budget, the city allocated four mills worth of taxes to fund capital improvement plans that have recently been used for public safety purchases.

“If we are no longer sending property tax dollars out of the general fund because of this new sales tax, we could cover the cost of these firefighters and be able to allocate that additional sales tax revenue,” Daniel said.

The previous sales tax, enacted in 2007, financed the Eudora Community Center and Aquatic Center. With that project’s debt paid by the end of this year, the total sales tax rate in Eudora would remain flat at 9.5% if voters approve the tax. If voters deny the tax, the rate would fall to 9%.

One key difference with the proposed sales tax is that it will not be set up to sunset in a certain number of years. Voters will be deciding whether to create this sales tax in perpetuity.

Daniel said the fire department works with area partners, such as to provide services for Eudora residents.

“We enjoy good relationships with all of our peer agencies, but from a standpoint on how Eudora residents are being served, there are gaps in the coverage based on our staffing limitations,” Daniel said.

The tax, if approved, would also give the city more room in its general fund, raised from property taxes. Daniel said he couldn’t give an exact mill levy homeowners could expect if the tax passes, but added the city reduced the mill levy by over a half-mill this year.

“We would have less of a reliance on property taxes, meaning we’d have more opportunities to adjust the mill levy, the property tax rate, in future budgets,” Daniel said.

If voters reject the sales tax, Daniel said the city would continue paying for public safety equipment expenses through the general fund, but wouldn’t have the resources to add firefighting staff.

“The staff levels and coverage levels that are currently offered would more or less continue into next year,” Daniel said. “What this is trying to do is correct gaps in the service by funding the full-time folks.”

In 2016, City officials annually dedicated four mills to fund capital improvement plans around Eudora, Daniel said. Recent spending under this category has focused on public safety.

“If the sales tax were to be successful, we would cease the policy we adopted via resolution setting that four mills to fund capital purchases,” Daniel said. “It wouldn’t be a property tax formula any longer.”