Public safety taxes among a slew of April ballot issues in Mid-Missouri

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

This April election will be a busy one for schools, ambulance and fire districts and 911 centers.

Ballots in Mid-Missouri are packed with issues that ask voters to raise or extend taxes to keep public safety operations funded. Such taxes are on the ballot in counties that include Callaway, Cooper, Howard, Maries, Morgan, Osage and Randolph.

Schools also feature prominently this spring. In addition to board of education races across the area, school tax levies and bond issues are on ballots in counties such as Boone, Morgan and Randolph. A few counties are also asking voters whether to approve property tax relief for seniors.

Boone County

The Harrisburg School District is asking its voters for more funding.

The district has a 50-cent increase to the property tax levy on the ballot. If approved, the levy would increase from $3.948 to $4.448 per $100 of the assessed value of a home or personal property. The measure would also eliminate the district's Prop C tax rollback. Harrisburg says it needs the extra money the tax will bring in to pay for qualified staff and better programs and facilities

Harrisburg's levy had a Prop C rollback for the 2025-2026 school year. Increasing rollbacks have the potential to put a dent in the operating levy income the district would take in from the increase, according to school board documents.

The Southern Boone School District wants its voters to approve $4 million to work on school buildings, parking lots, roofs and an HVAC system, among other costs. The district serves Ashland and the surrounding areas, which have experienced a surge of enrollment as more people move to that area. Approval would leave the debt service levy unchanged at $1.7423 per $100 of assessed value.

In the county's northern limits, Sturgeon schools want to borrow $2.8 million in bonds for facilities work. The debt service tax levy will remain the same.

Cole County

Every voter in Cole County will get a chance to help decide whether to extend the county's half-cent sales tax for capital improvements.

The tax money goes to fund work on roads and bridges, including construction, repairs and updates. The county sales tax rate, including the half-cent that was approved in 2021, is 5.6%.

Callaway County

Public safety-related tax questions will be on many ballots in Callaway County.

The biggest, in terms of area, is the Callaway County Ambulance District's ask to implement a use tax at a rate equal to the district's sales tax of 6.725%.

The Holts Summit Fire Protection District is also hoping for more funding. The district wants voters to approve $8 million in bonds that it says it will use to reduce response times by purchasing equipment, acquiring land and constructing new buildings.

The City of New Bloomfield wants voters to OK a half-cent sales tax that would fund public safety, including police department equipment, salaries and facilities.

Cooper County

The Cooper County ambulance district also wants more funding. The district wants voters to approve an extra half-cent sales tax, to make the total district levy three-quarters of a cent. A "yes" vote would also approve a three-quarter-cent use tax countywide.

County leaders also want funding from a three-eighths-cent sales tax to pay for 911 operations.

The total sales tax within ambulance district boundaries is 6.225% before the election.

The City of Pilot Grove seeks not just one, but two sales tax extensions on this April's ballot. The town hopes that voters will extend two half-cent sales taxes -- one for transportation projects and another for capital improvements. The extensions would be good for five years, pushing back the taxes' sunset date to 2031.

The Village of Windsor Place wants approval for a use tax that would equal the village's 8.725% sales tax rate.

Two Cooper County-based school districts also feature tax questions on their ballots: A request from the Pilot Grove School District to make permanent a temporary, $0.6892 tax levy and a $3.5 million bond issue in the Smithton School District that would raise the debt service tax to 45 cents from its current level -- zero.

Howard County

The Howard County Ambulance District is seeking a change to how its pays for operations.

The ambulance district is asking voters to reduce the property tax levy and instead impose a 1-cent sales tax countywide to help pay for ambulance operations. The property tax would be reduced each year pegged to sales tax revenue.

The Fayette School District is asking for a $2 million bond issue to build and equip school facilities, including the athletic stadium, its bathrooms and concession area. The bond issue would leave the district debt service levy unchanged at $0.7762.

Conlidated Public Water Supply District No. 1 also has a bond issue on the ballot. The water district wants to borrow $9 million to extend and improve the water system. The debt would be repaid through user fees.

Randolph County

The largest dollar-value item on the ballot in Randolph County is in the Moberly School District, where administrators are seeking voter approval to borrow $11.5 million to construct new facilities, renovate the middle school and elementary schools, and build a storm shelter. The district's debt-service levy would remain the same if the measure is approved.

The Randolph County Ambulance District wants voters to approve a use tax equal to its sales tax -- 5.975%.

The Renick School District wants voters to approve a continuation of its 47-cent temporary operating tax levy. The district says it needs the money to retain and recruit quality staff, along with paying for daily operations.

The Northeast Randolph County School District also features a tax levy question on its ballot. The district wants voters to approve a 75-cent increase to the district's operating tax levy, for a rate of $4.6101 per $100 of assessed value. Money from operationing levies go to pay for salaries, benefits and day-to-day school operations.

The Higbee Area Fire District is seeking about $1.6 million in voter-approved bonds to upgrade its facilities and equipment.

Audrain County

Audrain County is one of many counties around the area that will ask if they should implement property tax relief programs. State law requires counties to put the question on the ballot whether property taxes should be frozen for senior homeowners.

The Community R-VI School District is seeking a $1.625 million bond issue from its voters to pay for a long list of facilities upgrades, including a new entrance for the Old Gym.

Van-Far School District wants $4 million to make upgrades, including safety and security fixes at multiple buildings.

The debt service levy would remain at the same level at each district if the bond issues pass.

Moniteau County

The Moniteau County R-I School District is asking for $10.3 million for a slate of work it is calling Proposition Safe. The work list includes additions to the high school that would enhance student safety. The district's debt service levy will remain the same if the issue is approved.

The City of California wants a half-cent sales tax to pay for firefighting operations.

Miller County

The Miller County ambulance district is one of many around Mid-Missouri that is asking the public to give it more funding. This April, ambulance district leaders are asking for a half-cent sales tax on top of the district's already existing half-cent sales tax, for a total of a full cent.

The Miller County R-II School District is asking to borrow $500,000 for multiple facility improvements without a change to the debt service tax.

Morgan County

Two Morgan County political subdivisions are asking for more money to help fund public safety.

The Versailles Rural Fire District is asking voters to OK a half-cent sales tax. Those who pay property taxes would then get relief based on the amount of sales tax collected.

The City of Laurie is also asking for a half-cent sales tax, but this one would pay for police operations inside the city. Laurie also has a half-cent sales tax for parks on the April ballot.

Maries County

Voters across Maries County will have one question atop their ballots this April -- whether to continue a half-cent sales tax. The tax pays for roads, public safety and county operations and would remain in place for 10 years if approved.

The Maries County R-1 School District is asking for permission to borrow $1 million in bonds to upgrade facilities, with no change to the debt service levy.

The Maries-Osage Ambulance District proposition will appear on Maries County ballots, asking voters to approve an additional half-cent sales tax to add to the district's current half-cent sales tax. It would also impose a use tax.

The City of Belle wants voter approval for a half-cent public safety sales tax.

Montgomery County

Montgomery is one of many counties around Mid-Missouri that are asking voters whether to approve property tax relief, which was made possible by a recently-passed state law.

The small town of Jonesburg wants to bring in some revenue from hospitality, asking voters to approve a 5% lodging tax.

The Wellsville Special Road District wants to extend a property tax levy of 30 cents for four years.

Osage County

Osage County voters will see two property tax relief questions on their April ballots.

One question is broad, asking if certain "eligible" property owners should be protected from increases on their primary residences. The second asks specifically whether senior citizens should have their tax rates frozen.

Chariton County

Chariton joins other rural Mid-Missouri counties in having the general property tax relief question on its April ballots.

Two major public safety questions will appear on the ballot for some Chariton County residents. They are: to form a new Salisbury Fire Protection District and whether to impose a 30-cent property tax levy to fund it.

The New Brunswick School District has a $4.2 million bond issue on the ballot to pay for a list of upgrades from elementary to high school. The debt service levy would remain the same.