The second time was the charm.
Fulton voters passed a proposed city of Fulton use tax during Tuesday's election after previously rejecting it during the 2018 election.
Of 1,208 votes cast, 643 (55.6 percent) were in favor and 514 were opposed.
Fulton will now impose a local use tax on purchases made out of state by Fulton residents at the same rate as the current local sales tax (2.5 percent). The first $200,000 in annual revenue will be dedicated for police and fire capital expenditures.
Missouri and Callaway County already have use taxes in place, at 4.225 percent and 1 percent, respectively. Up to $2,000 in purchases per person per year will be exempt. According to the Fulton City Council, many Fulton residents will never meet that $2,000 threshold.
The use tax was but one of several questions and propositions appearing on the ballot. Results and statistics cited below are from the final unofficial results released Tuesday evening by the Callaway County Clerk's office.
Proposition L
The libraries of Callaway County will get their asked-for levy increase.
Of 3,566 voers, 2,034 (57.6 percent) voted in favor of Proposition L.
The proposition increases the property tax levied by the Daniel Boone Regional Library (which operates the Holts Summit and Fulton library branches) from 20 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to 26 cents.
According to the Daniel Boone Regional Library, the median Callaway County family will pay an additional $17.06 on their property tax bill next year. The levy was set at 20 cents in 1967.
The DBRL said the increase will help the Holts Summit Public Library stay open, pay for upkeep at the Fulton library, sponsor an upgraded outreach van and more.
Proposition S
Voters passed Proposition S 1,255 (72 percent) to 483. Fulton Public Schools will borrow $27.5 million for school facility improvements. Voters will not see an increase in the district's debt service levy, which will remain fixed at 76 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
The money will pay for a new school for kindergarten students, renovations to the middle and high school gyms, a parking lot addition, new middle school classrooms, and more, according to the district.
When she heard election results were in, newly re-elected board member Emily Omohundro's first question was whether Proposition S had passed. She said the bond issue was more important to her than her own re-election.
"I just hope that people understand that we're trying to be fiscally responsible while providing what kids need," Omohundro said.
Connie Epperson, who also received enough votes to join the school board, expressed similar sentiments.
"I just know this is going to be good for our district and it's going to be good for our kids," Epperson said.
Mokane sewer
A bond issue necessary for the city of Mokane to update its sewer and water systems passed with 20 votes for and seven against.
Following the successful vote, Mokane will issue combined waterworks and sewage system revenue bonds to the tune of $2.47 million. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has ordered the town to fix the systems or face fines and enforcement action - the state could hand the task of updating the system to a private company, Mayor Pro-Tem Chad Booher said. Mokane customers will likely see increases to their water and sewer fees, but Booher said the city wants to keep those rates as low as possible.
Kingdom City
Kingdom City voters passed question one 20 votes to 7, which should save them from filling out a few ballots in the future. Henceforth, Kingdom City will not hold elections when the number of candidates filing for office is equal to the number of positions available to be filled - in other words, when all races are uncontested, no election will be held. This cost-saving measure is already in place in nearby New Bloomfield.
They voted down Question 2, which, if passed, would have imposed a .5 percent sales tax. Of 27 votes, 15 were opposed and 12 were in favor.