The city of Arnold got voter approval today, Nov. 7, to charge recreational marijuana customers an additional 3-cent sales tax, and the Rockwood School District got the OK to shift 54 cents from its debt service levy to its operating levy to provide a dedicated funding source for costs related to safety, technology and facility maintenance.
Arnold voters overwhelmingly approved the city’s sales tax measure, called Proposition 1, with 1,042 voting yes (72.82 percent) and 389 voting no (27.18 percent), according to the unofficial election results tonight.
Rockwood voters also gave a big thumbs-up to the ballot measure, called Proposition 3, with 9,076 yes votes (66.3 percent) and 4,613 no votes (33.7 percent), according to the unofficial election results.
In St. Louis County, Rockwood’s tax shift got 8,824 yes votes (66.28 percent) and 4,489 no votes (33.72 percent).
In Jefferson County, voters approved the shift by an even larger margin, with 252 yes votes (67.02 percent) and 124 no votes (32.98 percent).
Each of the measures on today’s special election ballot needed a simple majority vote to pass.
Arnold
No marijuana dispensaries currently operate in Arnold. However, Planning Commission members recently approved a conditional-use permit for Good Day Farms to operate a dispensary at 2002-2008 Richardson Road across the street from a McDonald’s restaurant and Circle K gas station.
City Council members recently passed a resolution pledging that any sales tax revenue it would receive from recreational marijuana sales would go toward paying off debt from the construction of the Arnold Recreation Complex
Missouri voters approved a measure in November 2022 allowing marijuana sales to people 21 and older. In February, facilities with licenses to sell medical marijuana began selling recreational marijuana as well.
As part of that measure, the state is charging an additional 6-cent sales tax on those purchases. Cities and counties may ask their voters to approve an additional sales tax up to 3 cents per $1.
Rockwood
With the approval of the tax shift, the Rockwood district will increase its operating tax levy ceiling by 36 cents per $100 of assessed valuation in tax year 2024, and by an estimated additional 18 cents per $100 of assessed valuation in tax year 2025.
Rockwood also will reduce its debt service tax levy by the same amount – 36 cents per $100 of assessed valuation in tax year 2024 and an additional 18 cents per $100 of assessed valuation in tax year 2025.
According to the district’s website, Rockwood’s operating revenue will increase by about $26 million to $27 million annually after the tax shift is phased in over two years.
The shift will not raise Rockwood’s overall tax levy of $3.8907 per $100 of assessed valuation.
However, since the 54 cents will be moved to the operating tax levy, it becomes a permanent tax, unlike a debt service levy tax that expires when bond debt is paid off.