
Tomorrow, Joplin residents will vote on their third proposition or ballot measure in the past ten months.
Last November, residents approved the internet use sales tax, taxing internet and brick and mortar businesses at the same rate. This past April, citizens rejected a 30 million dollar measure to rehab Memorial Hall.
Proposition Public Safety will create a new 9 million annual revenue stream for the city to substantially improve police and fire safety. Joplin resident Rita Ball is concerned about how it will affect senior residents.
“I represent the seniors. I myself am a senior, and I would have liked to have retired this year. I’m not going to be able to because of the all of the taxes; the groceries are up, everything else is up.”
If approved, Joplin citizens 65 years and older and disabled residents could apply for the Missouri Property Tax Credit to get back $1,100 of their property taxes. The proposition only requires a 50 percent plus one vote majority to pass. Police and fire raises would go into effect on November 1st. Visit vote.org to locate your polling station.