Voters to decide on two taxes on April 5 ballot
March 23, 2016
Charlea Estes
Barry County voters have two county-wide issues to decide on for the April 5 General Municipal Election around the corner. One ballot issue is the continuation of a 1/2 cent sales tax the county uses for improvements on the county’s roads and bridges. The other is a local use tax that would allow Barry County to continue to collect local sales tax on motor vehicles and boats purchased outside of the state. Neither ballot measure is a new issue, instead they are continuations of current taxes.
The local sales tax measure is asking voters to decide if they wish to continue the 1/2-cent sales tax designated for capital improvements for another five years. The 1/2-cent tax was put in place in 1986. Voters chose to continue the tax in 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011.
Funds collected through the capital improvement tax for roads and bridges are dispersed among the 25 special road districts and one common district within Barry County.
Barry County presiding commissioner Cherry Warren said, “This is not a new tax. It is just time for the voters to approve another five year extension so we can have money for roads and bridges.”
According to a press release from the Barry County Commission, the tax provides for 49 percent of the money that road districts receive from the county. Barry County Treasurer Lois Lowe said that the 2005 tax brought in $2,031,478.74.
Warren said, “It would be devastating to our County road system if the tax extension doesn’t pass. Our money for roads and bridges would be cut close to one half.”
The other issue voters will vote on is impacting both the county and the city of Cassville. The local use tax has been collected for many years, but recently, terms were changed and voters have to approve to continue to collect it. The local use tax allows the county and city to collect tax on vehicles like cars, boats, trailers and outboard motors that are purchased outside of the state.
The state currently collects use tax, but the county-level collection must be voted on to keep it in place.
Warren said, “We think it’s a big disadvantage to go out of Cassville to buy a car. It’s not an increase, it’ll just keep what we have.”
If the local use tax is not extended, the county and city will lose sales tax revenue on vehicles purchased outside of the city or county. Essentially, it would be cheaper to go across state lines to purchase a vehicle which would negatively impact the local economy.
The Barry County and Cassville use taxes are separate on the ballot.
The April 5 General Municipal Election absentee voting is already open. For more information about voting absentee, see page 10A.
Charlea Estes
Barry County voters have two county-wide issues to decide on for the April 5 General Municipal Election around the corner. One ballot issue is the continuation of a 1/2 cent sales tax the county uses for improvements on the county’s roads and bridges. The other is a local use tax that would allow Barry County to continue to collect local sales tax on motor vehicles and boats purchased outside of the state. Neither ballot measure is a new issue, instead they are continuations of current taxes.
The local sales tax measure is asking voters to decide if they wish to continue the 1/2-cent sales tax designated for capital improvements for another five years. The 1/2-cent tax was put in place in 1986. Voters chose to continue the tax in 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011.
Funds collected through the capital improvement tax for roads and bridges are dispersed among the 25 special road districts and one common district within Barry County.
Barry County presiding commissioner Cherry Warren said, “This is not a new tax. It is just time for the voters to approve another five year extension so we can have money for roads and bridges.”
According to a press release from the Barry County Commission, the tax provides for 49 percent of the money that road districts receive from the county. Barry County Treasurer Lois Lowe said that the 2005 tax brought in $2,031,478.74.
Warren said, “It would be devastating to our County road system if the tax extension doesn’t pass. Our money for roads and bridges would be cut close to one half.”
The other issue voters will vote on is impacting both the county and the city of Cassville. The local use tax has been collected for many years, but recently, terms were changed and voters have to approve to continue to collect it. The local use tax allows the county and city to collect tax on vehicles like cars, boats, trailers and outboard motors that are purchased outside of the state.
The state currently collects use tax, but the county-level collection must be voted on to keep it in place.
Warren said, “We think it’s a big disadvantage to go out of Cassville to buy a car. It’s not an increase, it’ll just keep what we have.”
If the local use tax is not extended, the county and city will lose sales tax revenue on vehicles purchased outside of the city or county. Essentially, it would be cheaper to go across state lines to purchase a vehicle which would negatively impact the local economy.
The Barry County and Cassville use taxes are separate on the ballot.
The April 5 General Municipal Election absentee voting is already open. For more information about voting absentee, see page 10A.
