In about two weeks, Joplin voters will decide whether to add another tax to help pay for police and fire personnel raises. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

Perhaps you’ve seen the yard signs around Joplin in support of Proposition Public Safety. At the city council meeting tonight, city manager Nick Edwards will give a presentation going over the proposal’s details. If passed, the proposition will levy a new tax.

$1.00 for every $100.00 of the assessed value of all real and personal property. According to the example provided on the city’s website. If your home is assessed at $150,000, in addition to owning an automobile, say at $30,000, you would pay an additional $385.00 annual or approximately $32.08 per month.

Also, unlike other sales tax increases, Joplin residents have passed recently; this tax wouldn’t phase out over time. If approved, the new funds would increase current police officer and fire department salaries by between 10 and 17 thousand dollars annually.

And would allow Joplin to hire as many as 22 new police officers. The formal portion of the Joplin city meeting gets underway tonight at 6. Election day is Tuesday, August 2.