Voter Guide

Simple majority required.Ballot wording: Shall Mid-County Fire Protection District of St. Louis County impose a sales tax of 1% for the purpose of providing revenues for the operation of the Mid-County Fire Protection District of St. Louis County and the total property tax levy on properties in the Mid- County Fire Protection District of St. Louis County shall be reduced annually by an amount equal to fifty percent of the previous year's revenue collected from this sales tax?Summary: If passed, the sales tax on retail purchases within the district would increase by 1 cent to help pay for fire protection, EMS and rescue services and to reduce property taxes. The measure requires the district's property tax rate to drop by an amount producing revenue equal to half of the previous year's revenue from the sales tax hike. Supporters say the measure would allow property owners to share the cost of providing fire district services with others who use the district's emergency services. They also say the increase in revenue, about $600,000 after property taxes are reduced, would help the district deal with increasing costs and replace aging equipment. Critics say sales taxes are regressive and the region is becoming a high-sales tax area.