Scott City Council to consider putting use tax on April ballots

In April, Scott City voters may see a use tax measure on ballots once again.

Scott City Council members will vote at their next meeting Dec. 6 whether to put the use tax back on ballots for the April 5 special election.

The use tax failed to pass in the Nov. 2 special election by 24 votes. Scott City Mayor Norman Brant has high hopes it will pass in April.

In November, Scott City voters saw two questions on their ballots. One was the use tax. Another asked for a countywide quarter-cent tax increase to provide central dispatching of emergency services.

Brant hypothesized seeing two taxes on ballots developed a "no" attitude among voters.

"I think the county placing that quarter-cent sales tax confused some people, but I think [the use tax] will pass the next time," Brant said.

If passed, the tax would levy Scott City's 1.75% sales tax on online sales.

Earlier this year, the city tentatively planned to allocate funds generated from a use tax to road improvements and raising employee wages. It would have raised an estimated minimum of $200,000 a year for Scott City, according to Brant.

Scott City's initial plan to dedicate the funds to municipal employees' wages and street improvements has not changed.

Scott City spent approximately $400,000 last year to overlay portions of streets throughout the city. Use-tax revenue would assist the city in continuing where it left off in overlay asphalting.

A vote to put the use tax back on voters' ballots was originally scheduled for a council meeting Monday. Too few people could attend, so the meeting was canceled, Brant explained.

Scott City Council meets at 7 p.m. every first and third Monday of the month at Scott City City Hall, 215 Chester Ave. Meeting agendas may be found at the city's website, scottcitymo.org.