Lake Ozark Fire District To Ask Voters For Sales Tax Increase On April Ballot

LAKE OZARK, Mo. — Voters can approve two sales tax initiatives from the Lake Ozark Fire Protection District on the April 2024 ballot.

One initiative will be dedicated to the fire protection portion and the other will go to the ambulance service portion of the agency. Both measures will ask for a ½ cent each.

The LOFPD Board of Directors unanimously decided to place the initiatives on the ballot through a Missouri statute (RSMo 321.552). This allows fire districts to seek approval for implementation of sales tax, which would fund the district while allowing property tax relief to residents, according to a press release.

"A due pass of these measures would not only allow for future property tax relief from our District residents," said Fire Chief Marc Carr, "but also allow for the cost of operations shared by those visiting and vacationing in the District."

A sample of the ballot language is below.

Shall Lake Ozark Fire Protection District impose a sales tax of amount of one-half of one percent to provide revenues for the operation of the Lake Ozark Fire Protection District and the total property tax levy on properties in the Lake Ozark Fire Protection District shall be reduced annually by an amount which reduces property tax revenues by an amount equal to fifty percent of the previous year's revenue collected from this sales tax?

Shall Lake Ozark Fire Protection District-Ambulance impose a sales tax of amount of one-half of one percent for the purpose of providing revenues for the operation of the Lake Ozark Fire Protection District-Ambulance Service and the total property tax levy on properties in the Lake Ozark Fire Protection District-Ambulance shall be reduced annually by an amount which reduces property tax revenues by an amount equal to fifty percent of the previous year's revenue collected from this sales tax?