Municipal officials are gearing up to share information about propositions that will be on the April ballot.
During the Dec. 20 Belle Board of Aldermen meeting, members voted 3-0 to ask voters to …
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Municipal officials are gearing up to share information about propositions that will be on the April ballot.
During the Dec. 20 Belle Board of Aldermen meeting, members voted 3-0 to ask voters to pass Proposition 1 — requesting the elected marshal’s seat to become an appointed position.
Belle Mayor Josh Seaver asked the board to consider the proposition during its November meeting.
The ballot language will read the same as it did in 2014, according to Seaver. The submitted Proposition 1 includes the following: Shall the Board of Aldermen of the city of Belle, Missouri, provide by Ordinance for the appointment of a Chief of Police as provided for by the State of Missouri?”
The ballot question has the option to check “yes” or “no.”
During a discussion at the Dec. 11 meeting, aldermen questioned how to get information to the public to promote a positive vote on Proposition 1. Seaver said the city could collect data and host a town hall-style meeting to get the word out.
Aldermen set a special open-session meeting for 1 p.m. on Feb. 3 to discuss how to promote the proposition with the public.
In the city of Bland, the half-cent park tax is up for its first 10-year renewal.
Alderman Diana Mayfield said Monday afternoon that the half-cent sales tax for the park was first passed in 2012.
“We will be asking the citizens of Bland if they want to renew the 2012 park sales tax,” Mayfield said. “We get some from real estate and some from personal property.”
Since 2012, the park board has updated equipment, constructed a fence to protect children from traffic along Highway 28, initiated an annual 4th of July fireworks event, hosted the fall festival, and maintained the park grounds and baseball field.
“It’s a lot of work,” Mayfield said. “They are currently going to be working with Summer Jam to match funds and put a roof on the amphitheater. They are looking to update the bathrooms. They have new picnic tables. I think since the tax has been in place, they put up another pavilion.”
Mayfield added that one of the newer projects has been to build shade covers overtop of the bleachers at the baseball field. One set of shades has already been constructed. The board is working to collect materials for the second set to be finished.
“They are still up in the air about the second park in town,” Mayfield said. “They do keep it maintained. They are looking to see what they can put in there.”
The land for the second park was donated to the city for that purpose.
“With the trail stuff coming through, they haven’t really talked about what to do for that,” Mayfield said. “The city has discussed a visitor’s center.”
Park board members have discussed adding a rudimentary campground at the Bland City Park.
The ballot language will read, “Shall the City of Bland, Gasconade County, Missouri, renew the 2012 Parks Sales Tax of one-half of one percent (0.5 percent) sales tax for ten years for the purpose of funding for local parks in addition to the other sales taxes provided by law on all retail sales made in the city which are subject to taxation?”
Citizens may check “yes” or “no.”