Bi-State Commission

The Metropolitan Culture District, commonly referred to as the Bi-State Commission, is a special district authorized in 1996 by a joint compact between the states of Kansas and Missouri. Voters in Platte, Clay and Jackson counties in Missouri, and Johnson County in Kansas, approved a retail sales tax to renovate Union Station and to construct Science City in Union Station.  

Union Station, Kansas City, Inc. is the non-profit organization that owns, operates and maintains Union Station as a cultural facility. The Bi-State Commission works to ensure that future development and/or use of Union Station and the immediate area are consistent with the Union Station Master Plan that was adopted when voters approved the sales tax. The plan guides efforts to protect the public’s interest in Union Station. 

From April 1, 1997, to March 31, 2002, the commission collected $121,393,565 in sales tax. The proposal to form the district specified that a retail sales tax of 1/8 of one cent would be collected from within the district until $118 million had been received. The proceeds were limited to Union Station renovation costs and construction of Science City. The tax expired in the first quarter of 2002. The assets of the Bi-State Commission exceeded liabilities at the close of calendar year 2021 by $49,660. 

Chairperson

Curt Skoog, Mayor, Overland Park, Kan.

Vice-Chairperson

Marge Vogt, Councilmember, Olathe, Kan.

Treasurer

Beto Lopez,  Mayor Pro Tem, Lee's Summit, Mo.