The issue was defeated this time by a ratio of 54% to 46%, with 22,410 voting for the measure and 26,250 voting against it.
"We’re not going to give up on curbside recycling," says Bob Mann, leader of Citizens for Recycling. "We’re going to look for other options."
Mann told The Star that he hoped city leaders would look for other ways to initiate a curbside recycling program because the election results show a large percentage of Kansas City residents are willing to pay for the service.
The measure called for about 133,000 residents, including senior citizens on a fixed income, to pay $1.95 per month for the program. Apartment buildings of up to six units could have subscribed voluntarily. The fee would have been added to their monthly water bill.
Mark Bryant, president of Freedom Inc., a political club influential in the African-American community, says he believes residents favor recycling but don’t want to pay for it.
"I think it’s time for the proponents to get the message on the financing plan and find alternatives," Bryant said.
Because the proposition was defeated a third time, city officials say they will now begin to examine how to adjust the city’s existing recycling service. Currently, the city has a system of drop-off centers, most of them open only on weekends, John Stufflebean, director of the city’s environmental management office, says.
"We need to do a comprehensive look at where we’ll go with recycling over the next five years," Stufflebean said.
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