With the anti-tax sentiment prevalent in the country today, many local governments, schools and services are scrambling to find a way to pay for essential services. While elected officials at the federal and state level are in no mood to legislate increased taxes, local entities are struggling to provide infrastructure and quality education.
Three different entities in Stoddard County are looking to place tax increases on the April 2016 ballot in the county in spite of the anti-tax stance by many politicians. Their hope is that voters who are directly effected by quality of these services will support raising more funds to provide them.
Castor Township officials are the only entity who has actually submitted paperwork to put a tax issue on the April ballot. The Stoddard County 911 Services Board has formed a Citizen Advisory Board to look at a sales tax increase to help pay for 911 service in the county, and the Bloomfield School Board is considering raising the tax rate in the district though a full waiver of Proposition C.
The Castor Township Board approved putting a $.2690 property tax increase on the April 2016 ballot that would increase the tax levy in the Road and Bridge Fund to $.5000, the maximum allowed by state statute. The board approved the measure in August and sent a letter to County Clerk Joe Watson indicating their intent. Watson said the measure cannot be filed until Dec. 15, the first day to file for the April 2106 election.
Castor Township officials have struggled with road and bridge maintenance for several years. The board made a decision in the early 1990s to do away with collection of the 35-cent additional tax levy in Castor Township. In 2010, the township board supported the additional tax, and it was approved. The 35-cent tax levy generated about $180,000 annually at that time. Voters rejected renewing the special tax in 2013, but it was put back on a special election ballot. It passed in a special August 2013 election.
According to documents from the Office of the State Auditor, Castor Township currently has a property tax rate of $.2310 in the Road and Bridge Fund and a tax levy of $.3524 in the Special Road and Bridge Fund. The tax levy in the Road and Bridge Fund remains the same after initial approval, but the tax levy for the Special Road and Bridge Fund has to be approved by voters every four years. The board is proposing to increase the tax levy in the regular Road and Bridge Fund to the maximum of $.50 per $100 of assessed valuation.
Many residents of Castor Township have attended public meetings and Township Board meeting to express their frustration over the condition of roads in the township. The board has changed its makeup several times in recent years as issues of road maintenance have become heated. The geographic area covered by Castor Township is diverse, with more hilly terrain than other townships. A big factor is that Castor Township does not have the tax base from industry, business and new housing that part of the county enjoys. Stoddard County is one of only 21 counties in the state still having townships. There are 114 counties in Missouri.
Stoddard County 911 service is funded entirely through a fee on land line telephones. That fee has remained unchanged since 911 service was established in the county in 1995.
The 911 Services Board expressed concern as the number of land-lines in the county has dropped over the years, reducing income. At the same time, cell phone usage has soared. There is no fee to provide income to 911 services from cell phone users.
County 911 Services Administrator Carol Moreland said the fee on land lines brought in approximately $350,000 per year 20 years ago when the service began. Projected income from the land line fees in 2015 is $256,300. The equipment to provide 911 service is expensive, and it has to be replaced every five years. The next replacement of equipment will be in 2017, and Moreland estimated the cost at $200,000.
Several efforts have been made to levy a fee on cell phone usage at the state level. Voters have twice rejected such a fee. The legislature has had several bills introduced in recent years to raise money for 911 service through a cell phone fee, but none have passed and become law.
Moreland suggested the sales tax was the fairest way to fund the essential service. The land line fee will be dropped under the 911 Board proposal, if the sales tax is passed by voters.
The 911 Services board was concerned at their November meeting that having three tax issues on the April ballot could have an adverse effect on getting the tax passed. The board was to talk further about the tax proposal at their December meeting, and decide whether they will pursue the sales tax proposal.
The Bloomfield School Board at their November regular meeting discussed generating more funds for general operations of the district. While voters passed an increase for debt service for specific repairs to roofs on buildings and some renovations on the campus, the tax rate for general operations has not been changed since 1993. A complicated property tax formula was approved by voters in 1993 called Proposition C. The proposition provides for a roll-back in the tax rate under certain conditions.
Superintendent Toni Hill said additional revenue is needed by the district to address an aging bus fleet (only one bus with less than 100,000 miles on the odometer), technology upgrades, curriculum updates and she said the district is in need of increased security features in all buildings. She said the communications center is very dated and in need of replacing, which would be expensive.
It was noted by board members that the Bloomfield School District's expenditures per student are the lowest in the state
Hill said 443 school districts in the state have a full waiver, 41 have partial waivers and only 34 have no waiver. Bloomfield is among the districts with a partial waiver. She told the board that without the full waiver, the Bloomfield School District has a property tax rate of 3.01 per $100 of assessed valuation. She noted with a full Prop C waiver that amount would be $3.1894 per $100 of assessed valuation.She said that would have provided $86,484.4470 more per year in additional revenue.
A full waiver of Proposition C requires the vote of residents in the school district.
"If Bloomfield secured a full waiver from the voters, the District will still have the second lowest total tax rate of the seven school districts in the county," said Hill at the November meeting. She also said doing away with the Prop C waiver would provide less fluctuation in revenue which would make budgeting easier for the district.
The Bloomfield School Board was going to look further into putting the issue on the April 2016 ballot, and make a decision in time to file the necessary paperwork.