Christian County voters gave a solid “No” to Proposition A on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The ballot issue would have imposed a 1.75-percent use tax on items purchased online in Christian County from merchants outside of the area.
According to unofficial election results from the Christian County Clerk’s Office, 4,264 voters, or about 67 percent, who cast ballots in the election voted against the use tax, while 2,099, or about 33 percent, voted in favor.
The use tax had been proposed as a way to allow Christian County merchants in brick-and-mortar locations to compete on a level playing field with merchants outside of the area. Currently, the county has no tax on such purchases.
Johnny Williams, Christian County Western District commissioner, previously said the use tax was needed to help the county serve its rising population. He said that while more people were living in Christian County, more people were also making purchases online from vendors outside of the area, which he said is hindering the county’s funding.
“We're the fastest-growing county in the entire state, and so, as we're growing people-wise, our sales tax is not,” Williams said previously. “This year, compared to last year, our sales tax numbers are up 0.26 percent year-to-date. So … that's basically staying pretty stagnant, (and) that tells us that the growing trend as people are starting to purchase more and more online, which is making our numbers not climb, but we're building more subdivisions, needing more police service, needing more road crews and things, but the revenue is not coming in with the growth.”
Had the use tax passed, Williams said earlier, the county’s portion of the tax levy would have been reduced from 0.044 percent to 0.01 percent.
Nixa voters refuse tax levy:
In Nixa, voters also rejected a $0.25 tax levy proposed by the Nixa Fire Protection District (NFPD). According to unofficial election results, 1,971 voters, or about 66 percent, who cast votes in the election voted against the levy, while 1,026, or about 34 percent, were in favor of it.
In a social media post, the NFPD stated that while they were disappointed in the election’s outcome, they “respected the will” of the voters and would continue to serve the Nixa community to the best of their ability.
“While we're disappointed that the Levy did not pass, we respect the decision of Nixa voters,” the NFPD wrote in their social media post. “We recognize that many families are facing their own financial pressures, and we appreciate everyone who took the time to learn about this issue and cast their vote.
“However, the challenges facing our department remain. We'll work with our Board of Directors to evaluate our options and determine the best path forward to maintain essential services for our community.
“Our firefighters remain committed to protecting Nixa residents with the same professionalism and dedication they've always shown. We'll continue exploring every avenue to address equipment needs, staff retention, and service demands while being good stewards of taxpayer resources. The safety of our community will always be our top priority.”
In the election, 6,381 people, or about 9.4 percent of the 68,008 eligible voters in Christian County, cast ballots. The election results will remain unofficial until they are signed by Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins.
