The Reporter newspaper, Camdenton Missouri

The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.

Published February 14, 2024

Fire district wants sales tax

LAKE OZARK – The Lake Ozark Fire Protection District (LOFPD) has voted to place two sales tax initiatives on the April 2024 ballot.

One will ask for a one-half cent sales tax for the fire district and the other will ask for a one-half cent sales tax for the ambulance service.

If the measures pass, then residents may eventually see a decrease in their property taxes.

The wording for both ballot measures is below.

Shall Lake Ozark Fire Protection District impose a sales tax of amount of one-half of one percent to provide revenues for the operation of the Lake Ozark Fire Protection District and the total property tax levy on properties in the Lake Ozark Fire Protection District shall be reduced annually by an amount which reduces property tax revenues by an amount equal to fifty percent of the previous year’s revenue collected from this sales tax?

Shall Lake Ozark Fire Protection District-Ambulance impose a sales tax of amount of one-half of one percent for the purpose of providing revenues for the operation of the Lake Ozark Fire Protection District-Ambulance Service and the total property tax levy on properties in the Lake Ozark Fire Protection District-Ambulance shall be reduced annually by an amount which reduces property tax revenues by an amount equal to fifty percent of the previous year’s revenue collected from this sales tax?

This is becoming more prevalent for tax entities around the state. The Camden County Ambulance District is studying switching from a property tax to support the district to a sales tax.

The reason entities do this is anyone coming to the district’s area and buying anything will help support the fire district or ambulance service which they may use.

Currently, residents pay for the services through their property tax and visitors pay nothing.

“A due pass of these measures would not only allow for future property tax relief from our District residents but also allow for the cost of operations shared by those visiting and vacationing in the District,” said LOFPD Fire Chief Marc Carr.

For more information or questions, contact Marc Carr, Fire Chief, at 573-365-3380 or mcarr@lofpd.com