Around Southeast Missouri

Dexter council asks for input on liquor issue

The city's board of aldermen wants to hear from constituents on the matter of a liquor license law before its next meeting. At issue is the granting of such a license, which allows the sale of liquor by the bottle, at Stanfield's Hillbilly 66 on Route AD at its junction with U.S. 60. Aldermen want to know if constituents want the number of licenses available to vendors and package liquor licenses increased in Dexter. "We can only have 10 liquor licenses," said city attorney Yewell Lawrence to broach the subject at Monday's meeting, "and we already have 10. So I drafted an ordinance to increase the number of liquor licenses from 10 to 11," Lawrence said. He presented the ordinance to the board. After extended discussion of the issue, the board voted 5-1 to table the ordinance till the Feb. 5 meeting. "Let's get some feedback," Mayor Joe Weber had said before the motion to table.

-- Dexter Daily Statesman

Kennett council to place sales tax on ballot

The Kennett City Council in a unanimous vote Tuesday adopted an ordinance that places a one-eighth-cent sales tax on the April 3 ballot. The estimated $177,000 annual revenue is slated to be dedicated to cleanup, demolition and disposal costs of derelict buildings in the city. If voters approve at the polls, the tax is effective "on the first day of the quarter immediately following the election," and sunsets five years later, according to the ordinance. The one-eighth-cent tax is in addition to the seven-eighths-cent general sales tax already collected in Kennett, said city attorney Terry McVey. The mayor said the five-year plan will include homes that pose dangers to the public.

-- Daily Dunklin Democrat