Voters across Missouri decide local proposals

A 25-year-old law requiring a nickel deposit on beverage containers was narrowly being dumped by Columbia, Mo., voters in early unofficial returns Tuesday. Meanwhile, citizens across Missouri settled tax questions and selected local and school officeholders.

Columbia's beverage deposit law was targeted by grocery stores, restaurants and retailers who raised thousands of dollars in a bid to dump the requirement. The businesses called the deposit and redemption process a headache that cost them money.

But backers of the law, who held off three previous repeal attempts, said the nickel deposit encouraged bottle and can recycling in the environmentally conscious college town.

With about half of Boone County's 76 precincts reporting just before 10 p.m., the repeal was passing with 52 percent of the vote.

Other elections Tuesday included a proposal in Missouri's capital city to sizably boost property taxes to enhance teacher pay. Voters in Jefferson City were considering boosting the property tax levy by 59 cents per $100 of assessed value to raise each teachers salary by at least $2,500 this fall. The contest was too close to call at 10 p.m.

Kirksville residents, by a 4-to-1 margin, approved an unusual effort to implement a half-cent sales tax to pay for the city's portion of the $38.1 million cost to expand U.S. Highway 63 between Kirksville and Macon.