Public safety will be front and center in Joplin, Missouri, on Tuesday, August 2. Residents will determine whether to pass a new tax that many communities across Missouri already collect, but Joplin does not.

The new tax on general and personal property has allowed the city to maintain lower taxes compared to Springfield, Columbia, and St. Joseph. Last night at the city council meeting, City Manager Nick Manger spoke about why Proposition Public Safety should be approved.

“The slide in front of you shows the general fund, total revenues over total expenditures. That’s our sales tax, it shows what we’ve collected over the past ten-year period, and it’s a great snapshot. Over the past ten years of nominal economic growth, the city’s revenues have been relatively flat.”

If passed, the salary increases and hiring of additional staff would not affect other departments of Joplin city government. The proposition requires a simple majority for approval.