Kirksville council certifies April 8 election results, records outcome of sales-tax question

The Kirksville City Council on April 2025 approved two ordinances formally declaring the results of the April 8, 2025 municipal election and the outcome of a ballot question on an additional sales tax.

The council on first and second readings passed Ordinance Bill No. 2025‑15, which declares the results of the municipal election in which four candidates ran for two full‑term seats, and Bill No. 2025‑16, which records voters’ response to a ballot question described in the ordinance as "whether to impose an additional 3.08‑cent general sales tax on all retail sales made in the City of Kirksville…for the purpose of funding capital improvement building projects, including the retirement of obligations." Both ordinances were approved by voice vote on first reading and again on second reading.

Why it matters: city staff said the certifications place the election materials in the city archives and make the results the city’s official record. Mary Magnon, city manager, told the council the election cost the city "over $22,000," adding that "if you take that number and consider how many people actually voted, it's a very costly per‑person endeavor."

What the council did: for Bill No. 2025‑15 the council moved and seconded the ordinance and approved it on first and second reading by voice vote. For Bill No. 2025‑16 the council likewise moved and seconded the ordinance and approved it on first and second reading by voice vote. The ordinance text for the sales‑tax question cites sections 144.01 to 144.525 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri as the statutory range that governs the taxable retail sales referenced in the ballot language.

Details and limits: the ordinance text supplied at the meeting describes the sales tax amount as a "3.08‑cent" general sales tax; the city read the ordinance into the record as written. The council discussion at the meeting did not change the ordinance language. Council members who spoke urged continued attention to capital needs such as a new police station, a second firehouse and a community center regardless of the ballot outcome.

What’s next: the certified ordinances become part of the city's permanent records. The council and staff noted they will continue to explore solutions and funding options for capital projects, since the underlying needs discussed at the meeting remain.

Votes at a glance: both ordinances were approved by voice vote on first and second readings; individual roll‑call tallies were not recorded in the transcript.