Summary
The Christian County Commission voted to leave the countywide property tax levy unchanged after a debate over a recalculation that could have raised about $250,000 and would have offset a projected 15% rise in employee health premiums.
The Christian County Commission voted to keep the countywide property tax levy flat at its meeting, rejecting a proposal to raise the levy after commissioners debated a recalculation that increased the possible revenue difference from about $18,000 to roughly $249,000. The commission’s discussion focused on why the number matters: Presiding Commissioner said the corrected figure “would take care of a 15% increase in our premiums for, our health care for employees this year,” and warned that sales tax revenue — which the county relies on for roughly three-quarters of its budget — has been flat for seven months. Why it matters: Commissioners said sales-tax declines and continued population growth are increasing pressure on county services and budgets. Eastern Commissioner Bradley Jackson cited the Hancock Amendment and said residents often assume levies only go down; he explained that because the county relies heavily on sales tax, a shortfall there can push property levies up to cover services. Discussion: Jackson said residents who pay sales tax do so “electively” and expressed reluctance to raise mandatory property taxes. Commissioners also debated alternative revenue options such as a use tax the city of Nixa adopted in 2021 — which one commissioner said has grown at about 13% annually since adoption — and longer-term economic development to retain shopping and jobs locally. Decision and technical correction: The commission approved a motion to leave the general property tax levy flat by voice vote. Later in the meeting, commissioners approved changes to the county’s tax order and adopted a lowered rate for Common 1 Road District: the new maximum rate was set at 0.0932, down from 0.0948. Implementation and next steps: Commissioners said they are working on a longer-term revenue plan to reduce reliance on volatile sales taxes and noted that any change to levy policy will take planning and public outreach. No specific new revenue measure was adopted at the meeting.
