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Joplin council places public-safety sales tax on April ballot; council approves several ordinances
Summary
Council approved emergency ordinances to put a half‑cent public safety sales tax question on the April 7 ballot and passed multiple budget and airport items. Speakers including Mary Price urged support for police and firefighters.
The Joplin City Council voted to place a half‑cent public‑safety sales tax question on the April 7, 2026 ballot and advanced several related ordinances on an emergency basis Tuesday night.
City Attorney Nick Edwards explained the measure would replace the expiring "Prop B" general sales tax and dedicate the proceeds to police, fire and dispatch, including staffing and wage improvements. Mary Price, a resident and public-safety advocate, urged the council to support the placement of the measure on the ballot, saying it would provide stable long‑term funding for first responders.
Council also approved multiple routine but time‑sensitive items: agreements for airport construction management and design related to the North Perimeter Road, transit shelter replacements and grant agreements for airport marketing and passenger facility charges. Several items included budget amendments and emergency clauses to meet federal or state timelines.
Separately, Allo Communications updated council on its broadband construction schedule and said it expected full live service across the initial network rings by mid‑to‑late February; the company described microtrenching pilots and described operational steps to reduce street disruptions.
The public‑safety ballot measure and the set of ordinances now proceed under the city's election and ordinance timelines.
