City, fire district and schools asking for funds in April election

Tuesday was the last opportunity for localities to get measures on the April ballot. Citizens in Boone County will vote on four measures, all seeking funds, in the election on April 7.

One of the measures is a $3.2 million bond for the Southern Boone County Fire Protection District to build an additional fire station and update equipment.

Brandon Glascock, the treasurer for the fire protection district, said the new building would make all parts of the district within 5 miles of a fire station. The money would also replace aging firetrucks.

"We've kind of repaired and kept things up as much as we can, and it's time to make some purchases," Glascock said. "The community is growing like crazy, so we're going to keep up and one tool we use to do that is going to be the bond issue."

If passed, the bond approval will not raise taxes for any Boone County citizens. Glascock also said some residents could see better insurance rates with a closer fire station.

Read more about each ballot measure below.

Southern Boone County Fire Protection District

Southern Boone FPD is asking for $3.2 million in bonds to build a new fire station and get new equipment, including trucks.

Official Wording: Shall Southern Boone County Fire Protection District, issue its general obligation bonds in the amount of $3,200,000 for the purpose of paying costs of acquiring fire trucks, apparatus and equipment and constructing, furnishing and equipping a fire station?

Columbia Public Schools

CPS wants a $20 million bond. It would not increase the current property tax, which will likely stay at $0.9719 per $100 of assessed valuation. The $20 million would go toward improving and expanding district schools and increasing safety and security.

Official Wording: Shall the school district of Columbia, Boone County, Missouri, issues its general obligation bonds in the amount of twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) for the purpose of paying costs of acquiring, constructing, improving, extending, repairing, remodeling, renovating, furnishing and equipping new and existing school facilities and acquiring land therefor, including, without limitation, enhancing safety and security, improving facilities to comply with accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), renovating and upgrading aging facilities, improving outdoor high school athletic facilities, repairing or replacing roofs, windows, parking lots, and heating and air condition? Approval of this question is expected to result in no increase of the District’s current debt service tax levy, which is estimated to remain at $0.9719 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation.

Sturgeon R-V

The Sturgeon R-V School District is asking for $3.5 million in bonds without raising property taxes. The money would go toward safety and security and a new building for the vocational agricultural classroom and weight training classroom, along with other improvements. The property tax rate would likely stay at $1.27 per $100 of assessed valuation of real and personal property.

Official Wording: Shall the board of education of the Sturgeon R-V School District, Missouri, without an estimated increase in the current debt service property tax levy, borrow money in the amount of three million five hundred thousand dollars ($3,500,000) for the purpose of providing funds to implement safety and security measures district-wide; to increase energy efficiency through replacement of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and tuckpointing; to construct, equip, and furnish a new multipurpose facility to house the vocational agricultural classroom and weight training classroom; to expand and resurface parking lots; to the extent funds are available, complete technology upgrades and other repairs and improvements to existing facilities of the District; and issue general obligation bonds for the payment thereof? If this proposition is approved, the adjusted debt service levy of the School District is estimated to remain unchanged at $1.2700 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property.

City of Sturgeon

Sturgeon is asking voters to approve a use tax of 2 percent. According to the Missouri Department of Revenue, use tax is similar to a sales tax but only applies to purchases made on items outside of Missouri. The Sturgeon use tax would match the current local sales tax, and the measure allows the use tax to change along with the sales tax.

Official Wording: Shall the city of Sturgeon impose a local use tax at the same rate as the total local sales tax rate, currently 2%, 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? A use tax return shall not be required to be filed by persons whose purchases from out-of-state vendors do not in total exceed two thousand dollars in any calendar year.