Supporters of Parks Tax Happy With Automatic Renewal

Backers of renewal of the one-tenth of a cent Parks and Soils sales tax are happy they don’t have to rely on petition drives just to get the renewal on the ballot. Last year, lawmakers passed a measure to put an automatic ballot renewal in front of voters every 10 years. That amendment goes to voters on a ballot date still to be determined by the Governor. Ron Coleman with the Missouri Parks Association, a not-for-profit group backing the measure, says the tax is a major contributor to keeping up state parks as well as soil conservation measures. Coleman is hoping for an August ballot date when the benefit to farmers and parks users, two major consumers of the tax, is freshest in those people’s minds.