Belton, Missouri

Belton has its own hospital, a historic Main Street, 11 city parks, and a major retail district, all about 17 miles south of downtown Kansas City. The city is planning more growth, including the Uptown Entertainment District and new housing along the 163rd Street corridor.

Belton is in Cass County, Missouri, in the southern part of the Kansas City metro, about four miles from the Kansas state line.

Belton is known as the burial place of temperance crusader Carry Nation, for its historic Main Street, and for the Belton, Grandview and Kansas City Railroad heritage line. Locals also turn out for Parks & Recreation events like SummerFest, Car-B-Que, and the Holiday Craft Show.

Belton property taxes are billed through Cass County. The total rate combines levies from the county, the city, the school district, and other local taxing districts, so it varies by address. Check the Cass County Collector or the property’s tax bill for exact figures.

Belton is about 17 miles south of downtown Kansas City, with direct access via I-49 and US-71.

Yes. The fifth and final phase of the Autumn Ridge subdivision was under way in 2026, and the planned Uptown District includes about 600 residential units along with entertainment and retail.

Most of Belton is served by Belton School District #124, and a portion of eastern Belton is in the Raymore-Peculiar School District.

No. Belton Animal Control says the city has no breed restrictions and no dog registration requirement at this time. Dogs and cats over four months old must have a rabies vaccination from the past 12 months and must wear the tag at all times.

The city says the project does not change water rates. The new meters read more precisely, so some customers may see a change in recorded usage. Installers work outside at the meter pit, carry ID and will not ask for payment.

Contact the City of Belton’s Neighborhood Improvement & Code Enforcement division in the Community Development Department at 816-331-4331. The division enforces city ordinances on property maintenance and use, and the full rules are in the Belton Code of Ordinances and Unified Development Code on Municode.

Per the City of Belton’s meeting calendar, the City Council meets Nov. 10 and Nov. 24, 2026. The Planning Commission met Nov. 3, and its Nov. 17 meeting is canceled; its next meetings are Dec. 1 and Dec. 15. The Board of Zoning Adjustment meets Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. at 520 Main St.

Yes. Belton posts active code violations on its eTRAKiT portal (belt.csqrcloud.com/community-etrakit/), which started October 28, 2024. You need to create a free public user account first. For questions about a past violation, call the Neighborhood Improvement Department at 816-331-4331.

Belton City Hall is at 506 Main Street, Belton, MO 64012, and the City Hall Annex is next door at 520 Main Street. The main phone number is 816-331-4331.

The Belton Planning Commission meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at the City Hall Annex, 520 Main St. Agendas and minutes are posted in the city’s Laserfiche records portal, linked from the Planning Commission page on belton.org.

Usually, yes. Belton’s building permit requirements list roofing replacement, fences, new or replacement HVAC and water heaters, all covered decks and patios, and any uncovered deck more than 30 inches above grade as permit work. Sheds and similar storage structures over 120 square feet also need a permit, with a 200-square-foot maximum. Uncovered decks and patios under 30 inches, sheds under 120 square feet with no utilities, and window or door replacements that keep the same opening size don’t need a building permit, though zoning standards still apply. Applications go through the city’s eTRAKiT portal, and starting work before getting a permit doubles the permit fee.

Yes. New or expanded driveways and paving an existing gravel driveway require a building permit, and concrete is required in the right-of-way. Any structural or utility work in the right-of-way, including repaving or replacing a driveway in the same spot, needs a Public Works permit. Simply repaving or restriping a driveway on private property doesn’t need a building permit.

Yes. Since Jan. 1, 2025, all rental units in Belton city limits must be registered with the city every 12 months ($20 per unit) and inspected between tenancies. A $20 fee applies if the inspection happens after a new tenant has moved in, and foreclosed properties must also be registered. Questions go to rental@belton.org or 816-331-4331.

Yes. The City of Belton offers curbside bulky item pickup at no charge, one item per household per month. Pickup happens during the second full collection week of the month, and the item must be at the curb by 7 a.m. on your regular trash day.

Download the City of Belton board application and return it to the City Clerk at admin@belton.org. As of November 2, 2026, the city was taking applications for the Park Board, Planning Commission, Public Arts Committee and Zoning Board of Adjustment. Questions go to the City Clerk at 816-331-4331.

Norman K. Larkey Sr. is mayor of Belton. The City Council has eight members, two from each of the city’s four wards. As of November 2026 they are Patty Johnson and Alex McCallum (Ward 1), Carla Davidson and James Pryan, the mayor pro tem (Ward 2), Allyson Lawson and Chris Richardson (Ward 3), and Wanda Thompson and Bret White (Ward 4). The current list is on the City of Belton’s Mayor and City Council page.

Planning Commission public hearings are held at the City Hall Annex, 520 Main St. Written comments can be sent to the Community Development Department (816-892-1268) before the hearing. They become public record and are included in the published agenda packet. Packets are typically posted by the Friday before the hearing under Upcoming Meetings on belton.org.

Yes. MoDOT’s I-49 Corridor Upgrades project, now in planning, would add a lane in each direction on I-49 from 155th Street in Jackson County to the MO 58 interchange in Cass County. It would also replace pavement and widen the bridges at 163rd Street and make improvements at the I-49/MO 58 interchange. MoDOT lists the bid letting for November 2027 and the start of construction for spring 2028.

Yes, a second phase is planned. Markey Parkway Phase Two would widen the road from North Scott Avenue to Westover Road and add sidewalks and dedicated turn lanes. Construction is backed by about $5 million in federal funds and about $2.25 million in City funds. The project received environmental clearance on Aug. 14, 2026; check the City’s Markey Parkway project page for the construction schedule.

Belton’s charter, first approved by voters in November 2008, must be reviewed at least every 10 years. A 12-member Charter Review Commission (three members from each ward) begins meeting in November 2026 and must report to the City Council by October 2027. Any recommended amendments would go on the April 4, 2028, ballot.

The Uptown project covers about 40 acres along 163rd Street to Highway 58. Plans include a B&B Theatres complex with a go-kart track and bowling alley, five sit-down restaurants, 7,500 square feet of retail and more than 600 homes. After the City Council approved its Chapter 100 financing on October 13, 2026, developer PETRA said it expects construction to start before the end of 2026, or by early 2027 at the latest.

Belton School District voters approved a $58 million no-tax-rate-increase bond on April 7, 2026, with 68.66% support. It funds elementary learning spaces, secondary career education space at the Yeokum Center of Innovation for The Academies of Belton, an early education expansion at the Grace Early Childhood Education and Care Center, and facility and grounds maintenance such as plumbing, HVAC, activity fields and roofs.

Under Belton’s Unified Development Code, no accessory structure may be taller than the main house, and most, including detached garages and sheds, must sit at least five feet from side and rear property lines. The combined floor area of all accessory structures is capped at 25 percent of the allowed lot coverage (Sec. 4-1). Pools and sports courts have larger setbacks.

In April 2026, city staff withdrew a proposed change to the 2050 Comprehensive Plan that would have allowed a business park on part of the roughly 1,200-acre Graham-Effertz property. The city’s public hearings page still lists that amendment as withdrawn. Any future rezoning or development plan there would go through a neighborhood meeting and a public hearing before a vote.