Boonville voters approve Wal-Mart

BOONVILLE, Mo. -- A referendum allowing retail giant Wal-Mart to expand here was overwhelmingly approved Tuesday.

By a margin of more than 2-to-1, city voters approved an annexation plan that will allow construction of a Wal-Mart Supercenter. The lone ballot item, known as Proposition A, was approved 1,386 to 680 in an unofficial count.

Supporters said the decisive victory was no surprise.

"There was a small, loud group and a very large, quiet group," said Mark Farnen, a Columbia consultant for the project. "But they made their voices heard today."

Under the proposition, the city will be allowed to annex 28 acres of land from Cooper County to make room for a new Wal-Mart Supercenter three blocks from a smaller store.