This is the second petition in the past five weeks to be filed against spending city money on the road. The first petition failed because it did not contain a sufficient number of legal signatures.

City officials currently are trying to determine how much money they want to spend on the road upgrade, which is necessary for the Kansas Turnpike Authority to open a new interchange in Leavenworth County. The interchange would be on County Road 1, about midway between Tonganoxie and Kansas Highway 32. The cost of the road upgrades is estimated at $14 million, and the KTA and Leavenworth County have committed funds to the project. In addition, it’s possible federal funds will be funneled to the project.

Thursday’s petition, which, like the last one, was filed by local resident Phyllis Shilling, contains 359 signatures. City officials planned to take the petition to Leavenworth County Clerk Linda Scheer on Friday, and she has three days to check the signatures to see if the petition contains 262 signatures.

Scheer said she doubted she would make a determination before Monday.

The petition asks the city to adopt an ordinance banning the city from contributing funds to the road project — or holding an election on the issue.

Check The Mirror’s Web site for further updates on this issue, and be sure to read Wednesday’s Mirror for a complete story on the petition.