The battle between state Sen. Paul Wieland and Jefferson County 911 Dispatch has made it to the desk of Missouri Gov. Mike Parson.
Senate Bill 291 – which includes an amendment from Wieland requiring 911 to cut its 1/2-cent sales tax in half – has passed both the state House and Senate and now needs only a signature from Parson to become law.
Travis Williams, 911 chief, believes the signature will happen.
“Yes, I think he probably will (sign it). That’s just my speculation,” Williams said. “ (But) even if the governor signs it, it doesn’t mean the Department of Revenue won’t collect it (the full tax).
“We’re kind of just in a ‘wait and see’ mode. It has not yet been settled,” Williams said.
Wieland did not return a message on his cell phone seeking comment for this story.
Jefferson County voters said overwhelmingly on April 2 that 911 could keep charging its 1/2-cent sales tax.
But Wieland’s 2019 amendment – tucked into a bill that “cleans up” 2018 legislation aimed at expanding 911 coverage into underserved parts of the state – says otherwise.
The 911 tax has been in effect since 2009, when voters approved it on the condition that it would “sunset” in a decade, dropping from 1/2 cent to 1/4 cent, after the completion of a countywide tower-building project to improve communication.
In its April 2 election campaign, 911 made the case that the full tax should continue, allowing the agency to deal with an increase in calls and to meet the need for continual upgrades.
Wieland vehemently disagreed.
He lobbied against the tax measure, arguing that 911 does not need the money and should keep its promise.
In addition to campaigning against the April 2 tax measure, he included language in his amendment to reverse any action that would keep the tax at 1/2 cent.
The amendment stipulates that 911 agencies matching Jefferson County (serving counties with a charter form of government and with a population between 200,000 and 350,000) cannot have a sales tax greater than 1/4 cent.
And, “If on the effective date of this section such tax is greater than one-quarter of one percent, the board shall lower the tax rate,” the amendment orders.
State reps side with voters
Voters are not the only ones who lined up against Wieland’s point of view.
Six of Jefferson County’s seven state representatives voted against SB291, which passed the state House of Representatives on May 16 with a 113-23 vote.
Voting against the bill were: Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R-Arnold); Elaine Gannon (R-De Soto); Mike McGirl (R-Potosi); Becky Ruth (R-Festus); Dan Shaul (R-Imperial); and Rob Vescovo (R-Arnold).
The seventh representative, Shane Roden (R-Cedar Hill), said he voted “present,” and did not take a position on the bill. He said he was torn.
“I had issues with the way 911 sold the issue to voters,” Roden said. However, he said, “There were a lot of people who supported it (the tax extension).”
The state Senate passed the bill March 7 with a 27-6 vote. Wieland, R-Imperial, whose 22nd District takes in the north half of Jefferson County, voted for it, as did Gary Romine, R-Farmington, whose 3rd District takes in Jefferson County’s southern half.
Shaul said his vote was a matter of doing what his constituents requested of him.
“The constituents came out to me and were very unhappy (with Wieland’s amendment),” Shaul said. “I got hundreds of messages, literally. Just an avalanche. It was very one-sided. I felt I had to do what I did.”
He said he did not wish to speak to the merits of the amendment.
“I’m going to let my vote stand for itself,” Shaul said.
He added that he discussed how he was going to vote with Wieland prior to the House vote. “He understood I was going to vote against it,” Shaul said. “I don’t feel it will hurt our relationship. It wasn’t personal.”
McGirl said not only did he hear from many Jefferson Countians who were opposed to the Wieland amendment, but he agreed with them.
“I can’t say I had anyone come to the office to say they were for it,” McGirl said. “Also, I had talks with 911 Dispatch and many of the folks in Jefferson County and they were against it. I read the bill and I was pretty much against it. I had many constituents contact me who were against it, but none for it.”
Prop 9-1-1 received 15,301 votes in favor (70.67 percent) of keeping the sales tax at 1/2 cent to 6,350 votes against (29.33 percent). A simple majority was needed for approval.
According to the 2009 ballot measure’s sunset clause, the reduction in the sales tax to 1/4 cent was scheduled to take effect Oct. 1, 2019.
Wieland’s 2019 amendment was his second try at legislation to fight 911’s 1/2-cent sales tax.
He inserted a similar amendment into the 2018 legislation.
Before the April 2 election, Wieland said he was certain his 2018 amendment prohibited Jefferson County 911 from even going to the ballot. But 911 officials said Wieland’s earlier amendment had cited an incorrect statute and did not apply to their agency. Williams said in April that 911 Dispatch might file a lawsuit if the voters’ decision were overturned. But on May 24, he said he could not discuss “potential litigation.”