Jackson chamber endorses passage of use tax

The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce announced its endorsement of the city’s use tax and vehicle administration fee ballot issues, both of which will be voted on in April.

In a news release from the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce, chamber director Brian Gerau said Jackson businesses create local jobs, reinvest in the community and play a critical role in the growth of the city.

“These ballot issues are an opportunity for us as voters to now show our support for local business,” Gerau said.

Jackson voters will decide whether the city will continue applying and collecting a local sales tax on the titles of motor vehicles, trailers, boats and outboard motors bought from a source other than a licensed Missouri dealer.

Local officials believe if the tax expired, local dealers would be placed at a disadvantage that could drive consumers elsewhere.

The proposed use tax would extend the sales-tax rate, currently 2 percent, to all other out-of-state purchases. According to the April ballot, available on the city of Jackson’s website, the tax is an “attempt to eliminate the current sales tax advantage that non-Missouri vendors have over Missouri vendors.”

“These issues support local businesses to shop local, rather than incentivizing them to spend dollars out-of-state with businesses that do not support our local community,” Gerau said in the release.

At a January public hearing regarding the ballot, Mayor Dwain Hahs said any funds raised by the tax first will go toward increasing manpower in the police and fire departments, then to providing capital for their operations. According to the chamber’s release, the anticipated revenue from the use tax would allow the city to add two to three police patrol officers, help fund an additional school-resource officer and support ongoing operational improvements.

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