Boone County News Release

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Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Recognizes Successful Completion of Route Z/St. Charles Road Roundabout

August 19, 2013

Keeping its promise to the citizens of Boone County, the Boone County Commission plans to eliminate the 911 landline telephone tax effective January 1, 2014. The Commission order to eliminate the tax will appear on the Tuesday, August 20, 2013 9:30AM Commission agenda as a first reading.

In 1985, well before the proliferation of cell phones, the voters of Boone County approved a tax on telephone landlines to fund a 911 Public Safety Answering Service. For many years, the County Commission has set a tax levy at 2% of the tariff rate per Missouri statute. However, as landline use has decreased and cell phone use has increased, this tax has become less effective as a means of funding essential 911/Joint Communications services.

On the April 2013 ballot, a sales tax to fund a new 911/Joint Communications Service to be operated as a department of Boone County Government was proposed. In the weeks leading to the election, the Boone County Commission indicated that, should the voters approve the proposed sales tax, the landline telephone tax currently in effect would be eliminated.

Boone County voters approved this sales tax proposal in the April election. The ballot issue will take effect October 1, 2013 and collections of the sales tax will begin in late 2013. Pursuant to state statute, the Commission must act to eliminate the landline tax prior to September 1, 2013. It will then go into effect on the first day of the second calendar quarter following the action, allowing affected entities time to make the necessary billing changes. In keeping with its promise, the Boone County Commission will move to eliminate the 911 landline tax effective January 1, 2014.

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