Link to Joplin city council agenda

Link to stream Joplin city council meeting

The Joplin city council could approve a ballot measure to increase police and fire department salaries tonight. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

The salary increases would be contingent on Joplin voters approving a measure on the August 2 primary ballot. If passed, the effort would add a property tax that the city currently does not collect.

Due to Joplin’s location and being a regional hub, the city has relied on increasing its sales tax to collect taxes from individuals who don’t reside inside of city limits and travelers.

That includes passing a 3.125% use tax last year. According to the website salestaxhandbook.com, Joplin has a higher sales tax than 73% of localities in Missouri. If the measure is passed, it could raise the starting salaries of police and fire personnel by $10,000 annually. And Joplin’s chief of police could see their wages increase by more than $26,000.

The formal portion of the city council meeting starts tonight at 6.