The Harrisburg school district will ask voters to approve a 50-cent property tax increase and permission to waive a half-cent rollback to taxpayers from Proposition C during the August 5 election.

Superintendent Steve Combs described the need for additional revenue in a post on the district’s Facebook page on Monday, June 2. He said while the district is financially sound, operation costs continue to rise.

“We are at a crossroads,” Combs wrote. “Unfortunately, we cannot rely on federal and state funding to cover increased costs. Missouri ranks 47th in the nation in funding for its public schools. Our local tax revenue is a significant portion of our income. We are asking the patrons of the Harrisburg School District to increase the operating tax levy, which will enable our district to continue to provide resources to our students, the leaders of tomorrow.”

Should voters approve the tax increase, property taxes on a $200,000 home would increase by $190 a year, or 15.83 a month.

The second part of the proposal involves asking voters to waive a rollback of half of the one-cent sales tax dedicated to education funding in Missouri. Under Proposition C, half of the revenue collected is divided among the state’s public school districts, and the other half is returned to taxpayers in the form of a property-tax rollback unless district voters approve a waiver of that rollback.

The rollback “does not result in a tax increase,” Supt. Combs explained. “By statute, we could be required to roll back or limit the state sales tax revenue. Passing this initiative will ensure that the district continues to receive the full amount of state sales tax revenue.”

The Lindberg School District in the St. Louis area recently passed the Proposition C sales tax rollback, joining 431 other school districts in the state and 18 of 23 districts in St. Louis County to pass the waiver.

Howard County residents living within the Harrisburg school district who would normally vote at Howard County Fire Station #3 will cast their ballots at the Lion’s Club in Harrisburg on August 5.

Howard County Clerk Shelly Howell said this change is intended to reduce election costs, as fewer than 250 residents in Howard County are eligible to vote in this special election, and no other matters will be put before voters in this county.

“The minimum cost to run an election is several thousand dollars because of the high costs of complying with federal law,” stated Mrs. Howell. “When there is only one issue on the ballot, it can be costly to that entity.” She said that by sharing Boone County’s polling place and equipment, the Harrisburg school district will save money.

The Howard County Clerk’s Office will mail postcards informing those voters affected by the change within the next couple of weeks. The address of the Lion’s Club is 120 E. Sexton Street, in Harrisburg. Howard County voters can still vote absentee, or no-excuse voting, in the Clerk’s office at the Howard County Courthouse. Anyone with questions should contact the Clerk’s Office at (660) 248-2284.