LIBERTY, Mo. – The city of Liberty now has a way to pay for a new animal shelter, playgrounds and improvements to the community center. Voters in the Clay County city approved a use tax last week.
The tax collects money from purchases residents of Liberty make outside the city limits, mostly online. The city does not collect local sales tax from online purchases, so a use tax makes up for that loss. Residents will not pay both use and sales tax on purchases, simply one or the other.
Mayor Lyndell Brenton estimated the use tax will generate about $700,000 annually. The city council will meet Monday to finalize plans for the money, although the city earmarked funds for a new animal shelter, repairs to city parks and improvements in the fitness area of the community center.
“A community that takes good care of it senior citizens, takes good care of its children, takes good care of its pets and lost or abandoned pets; that says a lot about a community that I want to be a part of and I think a lot of people would want to live in,” Brenton said.
Liberty built its animal shelter when the city was a third of its current size. City leaders said the shelter needs more space. It is not well-equipped to handle the current demands and cannot hold adoption events in the space because of its small size.
Brenton said the city will most likely take out a bond for about $6 million so crews can begin work immediately and use the use tax revenue over the next several years to pay off the bond. He argued the cost of interest would be less than the inflationary costs of construction.
Liberty was the only city of five to approve the use tax on April’s ballot. Brenton said he thinks being up front with residents about how the city would use the money helped voters choose yes.
“We didn't put an action item on the ballot saying we need more money for government. We didn't feel like that was very compelling. But when you're talking about taking care of children, seniors, pets; that's compelling,” he said.
The city also plans to add an inclusion-style playground at City Park, which is designed to include children with disabilities.
