Quarter cent sales tax for law enforcement, quarter cent for parks proposed
Two separate tax questions will be on the ballot for Platte County voters in August, thanks to proposals put forth by the Platte County Commission at a special meeting on Tuesday.
The county’s half cent sales tax for parks and recreation/storm water expires at the end of this year.
Tax questions on the August ballot will include a quarter cent sales tax for local parks and storm water and a quarter cent for law enforcement operations.
Voters will decide each proposal individually. Each is a separate question on the ballot.
A Platte County Sales Tax Structure Advisory Committee earlier this year made the recommendation to the commission to seek a quarter cent sales tax for each purpose.
If passed at the Aug. 4 vote, collections of each tax would begin on Jan. 1, 2021.
Ballot language for the quarter cent parks tax will be:
“Shall the County of Platte, Missouri, impose a renewal of the existing countywide sales tax at the reduced rate of one quarter of one percent (0.0025) on all retail sales made in the county for the purpose of providing dedicated funding for local parks and storm water control for the county for a period of 10 years?”
Ballot language for the law enforcement sales tax will be:
“Shall the County of Platte Missouri, impose a countywide sales tax at the rate of one quarter of one percent (0.0025) on all retail sales made in the county for the purpose of providing dedicated funding for the operation of Platte County law enforcement for a period of ten (10) years? The proceeds of this sales tax shall not be used for construction of a new jail facility.”
Platte County commissioners recently entered into a contract to pay a public affairs firm up to $48,000 to perform what the commission has described as “targeted education” of potential voters.
That campaign, per the agreement, includes phone calls and mail pieces to identified voters who have cast ballots in at least two of the past four primary elections in Platte County. The contract is with Clout Public Affairs, a division of noted political consultant Jeff Roe’s Axiom Strategies firm.
Several local voters contacted The Landmark a couple of weeks ago to say they have been contacted via phone talking about the ballot proposals.