Scott County voters approve tax issues

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County residents approved the continuation of a countywide use tax during Tuesday's special election.

In a vote of 634-461, voters approved placing a local use tax on out-of-state purchases in an attempt to eliminate the sales tax advantage out-of-state vendors have over Missouri vendors.

Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger said he thought the fact the tax was a continuation was the biggest reason it was passed by voters.

"It's something that people were already paying," Burger said. "They knew it was going to expire and that it makes sense to collect the same amount of sales tax on an out-of-state purchase as we do on an in-state purchase."

First District Commissioner Dennis Ziegenhorn agreed.

"I think it was an equalization vote, and it was a do-business-at-home vote -- keep it here," Ziegenhorn said. "That just means more jobs for our area in the future. We've got to support ourselves because nobody else is going to support us."

A decision by the state's high court that went into effect in March ruled that only cities and counties in which voters approve a local use tax can collect the sales tax on vehicles bought out of state.

Scott County voters turned down the same use tax measure in the April election.

Burger said he thinks voters realized more Tuesday than they did in April what the commissioners were trying to say, that they wanted out-of-state and in-state taxes to be the same.

"We were giving a 1 percent advantage to out-of-state purchases when this expired, and so [with the passage of the use tax], we leveled the playing field," Burger said. "The voters responded, and for that, we're appreciative."

Also on Tuesday, those living within the Scott County Rural Fire Protection District authorized the district's board to levy an additional tax of up to 50 cents on $100 assessed valuation to support the fire district.

Vote totals -- which included residents from Benton, Blodgett, Mo., Diehlstadt, Mo., Haywood City, Mo., Morley, Mo., Oran, Mo., Perkins, Mo., and Vanduser, Mo. -- were 142 in favor of the measure and 91 against.

This marks the first increase since the district was formed in 1989. The district has fire stations in Blodgett, Morley and Vanduser.

According to Scott County Clerk Rita Milam, 4.14 percent of the county's 26,343 registered voters cast ballots in Tuesday's election. The results, which were provided by Milam's office, are unofficial.

Pertinent address:

Benton, Mo.