Boone County voters to consider road, bridge tax renewal

Every 10 years, Boone County leaders ask residents to step into the ballot box and consider Proposition One, a renewal of a sales tax to fund maintenance of the county’s roadways and bridges.

“It’s not sexy, but it’s things we use every day,” said Scott Charton, a supporter of the tax and spokesman for the YES for Good Roads Committee. “People may say ‘Where does the money for Prop One go?’ You’re riding on it.”

Prior to 1993, county road and bridge projects were paid for by a 29 cents per $100 of assessed value property tax. County leaders realized it wasn’t generating enough money for the projects so they offered the sales tax proposal.

“The county commission rolled back that property tax from 29 cents to 5 cents,” Boone County Commissioner Fred Parry said. “That really made this project more palatable.”

The property tax roll back and half-cent sales tax proposal was approved by the voters. Charton said that having out-of-town guests who use the roads and then pay for them makes the sales tax a positive thing.

“Boone County is a regional hub,” he said. “We have visitors from all over, hundreds of thousands a year. I think they should help pay for the roads and bridges and the wear and tear.”

Annually, the tax brings in about $14 million in revenue. The Boone County Public Works Department releases annual reports on how it’s using the money.

“It’s a very transparent process,” Parry said. “Generally the public knows whether or not resources are being used the way they need to be used.”

Eighty percent of the money was used to improve and maintain Boone County roads come from the sales tax. About 20 percent comes from things like property and motor vehicle tax.

The total 2017 budget for road and bridge expenditures was about $17.9 million. The majority of the funds were used for maintenance and improvements. Coming in second place, pavement preservation costs about $4.9 million. Finally, sales tax distribution last year cost about $2.6 million, the third most expensive expenditure.

Since 2011, the county has been dividing some of the revenue up and distributing it to each individual city with some of the funds for their individual road and bridge projects.

“Now, about $3 million is distributed to communities throughout Boone County for them to use as they like on road projects that they have determined as a priority,” Parry said.

Several million dollars that the city of Columbia has received over the years benefited a large part of the Scott Boulevard expansion project.

Charton said the road has been an economic and public safety lifeline for the city.

“It shows that there’s a partnership with the county and the cities,” he said. “Citizens can look and ride on the actual results of the Prop One funding.”

The proposal was recently endorsed by the Southern Boone Chamber of Commerce and the Columbia Downtown Improvement District.

Public records show the tax has passed overwhelmingly the past few times its been on the ballot. It did so well that commissioners considered asking voters to make it permanent.

Some residents criticized that plan, saying that it would compromise the transparency and partnership between the city and its voters.

Voters will head to the polls on this issue on Aug. 8.

You can find a link to the 2016 Road and Bridge Annual Report here.

If you have an issue with any of your local county roads and bridges, you can click here.