Lawrence County taxes big question for voters on April 2 ballot

Recreational marijuana tax goes to electorate in Aurora, Miller; fire tax increase also asked in county fire districts
When Lawrence County voters go to the polls on Tuesday, April. 2, they will be asked to vote “Yes” or “No” on a variety of taxes, including whether to approve an increase in certain tax levies, if they should create use taxes for their municipalities, and whether to impose a sales tax on local marijuana sales.
Aurora
Aurora voters are being asked to an increase on a tax levy for the Aurora Rural Fire Protection District. The ballot issue states: “Shall the Board of Directors of the Aurora Rural Fire Protection District be authorized to levy an additional tax of not more than thirty cents on the one hundred dollars assessed valuation to provide funds for the support of the District?”
Aaron Siegrist, fire chief, said the increase would provide the district with an additional $285,000 in funding “to upgrade older equipment and help with the increased cost of operations.”
“The average age of our fleet is about 34 years old, incurring higher maintenance costs,” he said. “The average cost of a new fire apparatus is $750,000 for a lower-end-priced apparatus.”
Should the tax levy fail, he said, there is a chance it could “affect service to (up to) 8,000 people in our district.”
Siegrist also said that, due to rising prices, the district needs the increase.
“The district has not received further funding since 2014, but the same increases felt across all aspects of the economy, are also felt by the fire district,” he said. “The increased cost of maintenance to aging vehicles, higher call volume, equipment costs, training costs, and the costs of proper gear continues to rise, and we must do all we can to meet the growing need.”
In addition to the tax levy, Aurora voters are also being asked to approve a three-percent sales tax on the sale of non-medical use marijuana within city limits. The ballot language reads, “Shall the City of Aurora, Missouri, impose a sales tax of three percent (3%), to be used for public safety purposes, on all retail sales of adult use, nonmedicinal, marijuana sold in the City of Aurora, Missouri?”
A similar sales tax passed for both Mt. Vernon and Lawrence County last year.
Miller
Lawrence County voters living in Miller will be asked to decide two tax issues on the ballot. The first one asks whether Miller should have a use tax. Stacy Daniels, mayor of Miller, stated that a use tax is “a sales tax imposed on the purchase of goods by Missouri residents from out-of-state vendors only, those who don’t charge sales tax on purchases.”
If approved, the tax would be equal to the local sales tax of 2.75-percent. The ballot language for the issue reads: “Shall the City of Miller impose a local use tax at the same rate as the total local sales tax rate (2.75%), provided that if the local sales tax rate is reduced or raised by voter approval, the local use tax rate shall also be reduced or raised by the same action?”
Daniels said that by approving the use tax, voters would be plugging “a tax loophole.”
“As Internet purchases increase, local revenues decrease,” she said. “The rise in e-commerce has created an ever-increasing vacuum in this traditional funding source.”
Should the tax be passed, Daniels said, the revenue “will be used to supplement the city’s General Fund that supports our public safety, sidewalk upgrades, road maintenance, emergency equipment.”
Also, like Aurora, Miller residents are being asked to approve a three-percent sales tax on the sale of non-medical marijuana products. The ballot language for the issue reads: “Shall the City of Miller, Missouri impose an additional sales tax of three percent (3%) on the retail sale of adult use nonmedical marijuana sold in the City of Miller?”
Like many communities, Daniels said, Miller doesn’t have a marijuana dispensary where they can tax marijuana sales.
“The city has chosen to place this on the ballot as a proactive measure to have the tax in place if a dispensary decides to come to Miller,” she said.
If a dispensary does come to Miller, Daniels said, the funds raised from the sales tax will “be used to supplement our Public Safety Departments; Fire and Law Enforcement.”
Verona
Verona voters are being asked to increase the tax levy for the Verona Special Roads District. The issue on the ballot reads: “Shall the commissioners of the Verona Benefit Special Road District be authorized to increase the tax levy by .06 from .19 to .25 on the one hundred dollar assessed valuation for road and bridge improvements for a period of four years?”
Freistatt
Freistatt voters are being asked to increase a tax levy for the Freistatt Fire Protection District. The ballot language reads: “Shall the board of directors of the Freistatt Fire Protection District be authorized to levy an additional tax of not more than thirty cents on the one hundred dollars of assessed valuation to provide funds for the continued operational support of the district?”