Vote ‘yes’ for roads, ‘yes’ for Proposition 1 on Tuesday

by Rod Wolverton

November 3,2007

On Tuesday, the good citizens of Boone County have the ability to generate the funds necessary to maintain our roadways for the next 10 years. Further, the good citizens of Boone County have the opportunity to raise these funds at no additional cost to what is already being spent. By voting "Yes" on Proposition 1, the good citizens of Boone County can ensure that we have a solid, well-maintained road system. This is good for everyone.

Proposition 1 is a half-cent sales tax that is collected and used to maintain and improve our roadways in Boone County. The following are some of the proposition's benefits:

1) The sales tax has generated $110 million in revenue to Boone County since 1999. All of these funds are used to maintain and improve our roadways.

2) Proposition 1 also contains a rollback of property tax. This rollback has resulted in approximately $46 million in tax savings to Boone County property owners since 1999.

3) Proposition 1 does not impose a new layer of taxation. Proposition 1 is an extension of a tax that is already in place. Unfortunately, the measure will show on the ballot as a new tax. This is the case because this measure has reached its "sunset" and will automatically expire if not renewed.

4) Funds from Proposition 1 are shared with the individual cities within Boone County. From 1994 to 2006, $23 million in revenue has been shared with the cities within Boone County.

5) A large part of the taxes collected are paid by visitors to Boone County. When we pack Faurot Field on football Saturdays with 70,000 people, many of whom are coming in from outside Boone County, a portion of all the sales taxes paid on food, booze, lodging, gasoline, Mizzou sweatshirts and anti-Jayhawk propaganda goes toward maintaining the very road system that is being used. How can this be any better for the citizens of Boone County? People travel to see Chase Daniel throw touchdown passes and pay for the maintenance of our roads at the same time.

All of this sounds great. But now we must discuss the downside of this measure. When Proposition 1 was initiated, it contained a rollback of property taxes. As stated before, this rollback has saved Boone County land owners $46 million since 1999. If Proposition 1 is not renewed, the property tax rollback contained within Proposition 1 also is not to be renewed. The message is simple: Maintenance of our road and bridge system costs a certain amount of money every year. It will be paid in one of the following two ways:

1) We can have the funds come from sales tax, which places a portion of the burden on visitors to Boone County, or,

2) The citizens of Boone County can pay for all of the cost through property tax, which places 100 percent of the burden on the citizens of Boone County and none of the burden on visitors to the area, who put stress on our system but will pay none of the cost of maintenance.

This seems to be an easy decision. Vote "Yes" on Proposition 1.

Popularity: 39% [?]