Warrenton officials have prepared a petition seeking voter approval to establish a transportation development district (TDD) along Interstate 70 to help secure funding for a second Warrenton interchange near mile marker 191.Voters with tax parcel identification numbers listed in the July 4 edition of The Record are asked to participate in a special election to approve the formation of the “City of Warrenton Interchange Transportation Development District.”The petition also asks voters in the district to approve a 1-cent sales tax, which would be imposed on purchases within the proposed district.The sales tax would include all taxable sales within the district, but excludes the sale or use of motor vehicles, trailers, boats, outboard motors, or revenues from utilities, such as gas, water, or electric. It also excludes telephone service revenues.Businesses within the district would include the Wal-Mart SuperCenter and several other businesses located within the immediate vicinity of the current interchange between Interstate 70 and Highway 47.Warrenton Mayor Jerry Dyer said the total cost of the new interchange would be approximately $15 million, with half of the funding coming from MoDOT, pending availability of funds and contingent upon the city getting its half — $7.5 million — secured.If it wins voter approval, the TDD would allow the city to sell municipal bonds to finance its half of the needed funds and use the sales tax revenues to pay back the bonds each year, Dyer said.People living within the district who receive a ballot must return it to the city no later than July 26, or 30 days after the last publication of the notice in The Record.The notice is published in today’s issue and also is slated to be published in the July 18 and 25 editions.Dyer said the additional interchange is needed for safety reasons.From an emergency standpoint, Dyer said if an incident would occur on the north side of Interstate 70 and it couldn’t be accessed by Highway 47, first responders would have to gain access either by going to the Pendleton or Wright City exits.He said the interchange also would benefit the city economically and could breathe new life into the failing outlet mall on the south outer road.“It could be new lifeblood for developers there,” he said.Dyer said the city also hopes that a new interchange would spur business growth along the nearby corridor.