LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — Voters across the Lake area will decide a major question about the future of the Lake, today. The only issue on the ballot: should the lodging tax across Camden, Miller, and Morgan counties be raised to 6 percent, for the purpose of promoting tourism at the Lake, including the construction of a destination soccer tournament complex?

Currently, the lodging tax is 3 percent in Camden and Morgan counties and 5 percent in Miller County. However, the tax is not county-wide — it is only in effect within each county’s Business District, and only voters within those Business Districts will be eligible to vote on the question.

Check your voter registration card for the list of districts you’re eligible to vote in. Polling places are listed below, and are open until 7 p.m.

The Tri-County Lodging Association has placed the issue on the ballot.

TCLA and the Lake Convention & Visitor Bureau (CVB) decided to ask voters to raise the lodging tax to the allowable maximum (6 percent) after commissioning a study by Convention & Sports Leisure that determined the Lake was well-positioned for a destination sports complex. A follow-up report performed by XO Strategic helped tourism leaders envision what that facility might look like: how to build it, how to fund it, and how to fill it.

That report, available here, determined an approximately $20-22 million complex could be built, funded by an increase in the lodging tax (and leveraging that tax to sell bonds). The result would be an 8-field, artificial turf complex that could also convert into 20 or more fields, depending on the number of fields in use for smaller teams (5v5 or 7v7). A site was chosen, at the Arrowhead Centre in Osage Beach on Route KK.

The XO Strategic report concluded such a project could bring upwards of $75 million in annual visitor spending. (For a breakdown of projected visitors and economic impact, visit votelakesoccer.com.)

The proposal has received broad community support, from local businesses, lodging facilities, and both the Bagnell Dam Board of Realtors and Lake of the Ozarks Board of Realtors. But some have opposed it, saying the complex should not be funded by the lodging tax, and disagreeing that the influx of soccer tournaments would benefit small family resorts or individual vacation rental homes, particularly those that are far away from the complex.

Ballot Language

Shall the lodging tax of the [county] Business District be increased from [3% in Camden/Morgan, 5% in Miller] to 6% on the amount of sales or charges for all lodging paid by transient guests of hotels, motels and resorts within the [county] Business District to provide funds for the promotion of tourism in the District[, including but not limited to the construction, operation, and maintenance of sports facilities]?

(EDITOR'S NOTE: The final bracketed portion was only included in the Camden and Miller county ballots; this was an oversight in our initial publication of the ballot language and we apologize for the error.)

Polling Locations  

Camden County

BARNUMTON — OZARK BETHEL CHAPEL (10346 STATE ROAD J, ROACH, MO 65787)

CAMDENTON 1 — V.F.W. HALL (65 VFW RD., CAMDENTON, MO. 65020)

CAMDENTON 2 — COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN CHURCH (1064 N.ST. HWY. 5, CAMDENTON, MO. 65020)

CAMDENTON 3 & HA HA TONKA — KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HALL (547 W. HWY 54, CAMDENTON, MO. 65020)

CLIMAX SPRINGS — CLIMAX SPRINGS CIVIC CENTER (DD HWY., CLIMAX SPRINGS, MO. 65324 )

DECATURVILLE — MYETTA MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH (2550 OLD SOUTH 5 CAMDENTON, MO. 65020)

FREEDOM — FREEDOM CHURCH OF CHRIST (1750 STATE RD. A CAMDENTON, MO. 65020)

GREENVIEW — PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH (9307 N. STATE HWY 5, CAMDENTON, MO. 65020)

HA HA TONKA — KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HALL (547 W. HWY 54, CAMDENTON, MO. 65020)

HILL HOUSEBEULAH BAPTIST CHURCH (N STATE HIGHWAY 7, RICHLAND, MO. 65556)

HORSESHOE BEND — FOUR SEASONS EXHIBITION CENTER    (274 FOUR SEASONS LANE   FOUR SEASONS)

LINN CREEK — CAMDEN COUNTY MUSEUM  (206 LOCUST ST., LINN CREEK, MO. 65052)

MACKS CREEK — MACKS CREEK FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH (19748 US HWY 54, MACKS CREEK, MO. 65786)

MONTREAL — BUFFALO PRAIRIE BAPTIST CHURCH (3477 S STATE. HIGHWAY 7, MONTREAL, MO. 65591)

OSAGE BEACH 1, 2, & 3 — THE CHURCH AT OSAGE HILLS  (5237 OSAGE BEACH PARKWAY, OSAGE BEACH, MO. 65065)

ROACH — MID COUNTY FIRE STATION #3 (STATE RD .AA, ROACH, MO. 65787)

STOUTLAND — STOUTLAND BAPTIST CHURCH  (167 MAPLE ST., STOUTLAND, MO. 65567)

SUNNYSLOPE — AUTUMN VILLAGE COMMUNITY CENTER (115 AUTUMN VILLAGE AVE. , CAMDENTON, MO. 65020)

SUNRISE BEACH 1 — FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH (13560 N STATE HIGHWAY 5, SUNRISE BEACH, MO. 65079)

SUNRISE BEACH 2, 3, & WILSON BEND — KENT MEMORIAL LUTHERAN CHURCH (184 SUNSET HILLS DR., SUNRISE BEACH, MO. 65079 )

Miller County

BRUMLEY - 201 LIONS CLUB BRUMLEY MO 65017
 
ELDON NORTH - 1600 HWY Y ELDON MO 65026
 
ELDON SOUTH - 10 MIDWAY RD ELDON MO 65026
 
KAISER - 748 HWY D OSAGE BEACH MO 65065
 
LAKE OZARK - 755 BAGNELL DAM BLVD LAKE OZARK MO 65049

Morgan County

-Barnett II — New Life Assembly Of God Church

-Gravois Mills — VJW Post 5178

-Indian Creek — Rocky Mount Lions Club Building

-Laurie — Osage Community Elks Lodge

-Versailles North — Morgan County Library

-Versailles South, FGS — Hunter Civic Center

-Webb — Ivy Bend Food Pantry


1
1
1
1
5

(0 Ratings)