Citizens in Newton and Jasper counties will weigh in on a $16.5 million bond issue to provide tornado safe rooms for the Carl Junction School District. This would provide three dual purpose areas such as a classroom for early childhood to first grade, a multi-purpose cafeteria and kitchen for second through sixth grade, and a multipurpose facility for seventh through 12th grades. Superintendent Phillip Cook says two of these safe rooms would provide shelter for the community as well.
“Our board of education put this on the ballot in August. It was the result of a yearlong master plan that the school district did. And the number one concern or the number one issue going through that planning process was the need for safe rooms. So our board of education put this out there in response to what our community was asking them to do,” says Cook.
If passed, the district’s current debt levy would increase 10 cents to 99 cents. It would result in an additional $19 a year for every $100,000 of assessed property value.
Additionally in Newton County, officials seek to expand Neosho’s scope of 5 percent gross tax receipts to apply to all light and power companies providing service. Another item concerns the City of Stella and the combined sale of local waterworks and sewage system revenue bonds to pay for improvements.
Ballots in Christian and parts of Stone County have a bond issue concerning the Nixa Fire Protection District. Jon Trent is Nixa’s fire chief.
“We have a general obligation bond that we’re placing on the ballot. It will raise $2.5 million dollars. What we’re going to do with that is two projects. Number one is to build a staffed fire station in the northwest part of our district, and number two is we’re going to purchase a new aerial apparatus or [otherwise known as] a ladder truck,” Trent says.
The main goal with this bond, says Trent, is to reduce response emergency times for the department, which currently has two stations to cover its service area. If passed, the 10-year bond would increase property taxes 8 cents for every $100 dollar of assessed value; or the equivalent of a $15 a year increase for a citizen with home valued at $100,000.
Also on Christian County’s ballot, the City of Highlandville is asking for authorization to levy a tax on real and personal property of no more than 40 cents per $100 assessed valuation, and Sparta’s Fire District is seeking an additional tax of no more than 30 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
Residents of Webster County will vote on a ½ of 1 percent sales tax for the City of Mansfield to provide funding for local parks. Similarly in Taney County, a ¼ of 1 percent sales tax would also provide funding for area parks in Rockaway Beach.