
Council Passes Ballot Proposal 5-3, But Mayor Dawson Vetoes
On Tuesday night, Sedalia Council approved the addition of a one-eighth sales tax to the April 8 ballot, an idea introduced by Fourth Ward Councilman Steve Bloess at the Jan. 6 meeting.
The increased revenue produced by the tax would help replace what was lost when Pettis County, over the past two years, refused to forward about $370,400 to the City of Sedalia from the Road & Bridge Tax, a tax which was authorized by voters in 2000. Bloess said the new tax would sunset in five years, and will be dedicated to maintain roads, bridges, sidewalks, and other infrastructure inside the City limits of Sedalia. First Ward Councilman Tom Oldham immediately opposed the idea that night.
The tax increase proposal has a deadline of Tuesday, Jan. 28 to get it on the April ballot.
However, after voting 5-3 to approve placing it on the ballot, with Council members voting no, Sedalia Mayor Andrew Dawson vetoed the ordinance with a written statement read aloud following the Council vote during the Miscellaneous portion of the one hour, 45-minute meeting.
Mayor Dawson had four concerns about the new one-eighth sales tax, including:
*Economic burden on Sedalia residents
*Clarification of the Washington Street Bridge Project
*Concerns about Pettis County’s one-percent tax proposal
*Need for alternative revenue strategies
“Before pursuing additional taxes, we must explore alternative funding sources, such as grants, partnerships or reallocating existing resources. It is vital that we approach taxation with a clear plan that demonstrates how the funds will benefit our community,” Mayor Dawson said.
“I encourage the Council to consider alternative solutions that protect the interests of Sedalia’s residents and businesses while addressing our city’s needs in a responsible manner,” the mayor concluded.
The veto triggers a special session in which the Council will determine whether to override Mayor Dawson’s veto. The meeting may happen as early as Monday at noon.
For his part, Councilman Bloess said he will not support the county’s proposed half-sent cales tax on the April ballot. He added that more precise ballot language needs to be added to what was agreed upon in 2000, to return funding levels from the Road and Bridge Tax to normal. In fact, Bloess suggested using a percentage formula, rather than a flat fee, which would increase the City’s share of the revenue collect from around $365,000 to around $1 million.
“It’s not fair to collect the tax, then not allocate the money to the citizens of Pettis County who live inside the City Limits,’ he stressed.
The new one-eighth sales tax would sunset in five years, Bloess said, unless it is being used to renovate the Washington Street Bridge.

First Ward Councilman Tom Oldham saw Bloess’ proposal as a “double tax” on citizens, while Mayor Pro Tem Boggess said she “cannot agree” with the idea proposed by Bloess. Councilman Marshall, who appeared at the meeting online, also said no to placing it on the ballot.
First Ward Councilman Jack Robinson noted that he agreed with Councilmen Bloess. “The only way you can guarantee that the County is going to give us the money that is ours, is to have it in the ballot language. And we’ve seen what they do if you don’t. They withhold it and then give it back to us like they’re heroes, to work on the bridge,” Robinson said. “That’s silly.”
Fourth Ward Councilwoman Rhiannon Foster suggested the Council take a strong look at the new tax proposal. “If we’re going to have to build another bridge, which we should, it’s going to be very, very expensive. And we’re going to need all the money we can get, to do that,” she said.
Second Ward Councilwoman Boggess said “I believe that we do need finances in order to repair or replace that viaduct. I don’t agree that we need new taxes from people who are already paying taxes. I’ve heard time and time again, ‘I’m paying taxes, where’s my money going? It’s not going where they said it was going,’” Boggess recalled. “Unfortunately, I cannot agree to this increase in taxes until you show me what we’re going to do with that money.”
Sales Tax Vote
Gallery Credit: Randy Kirby
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