After learning that a single resident has the ability to vote on a half-cent sales tax, the Columbia Business Loop’s Community Improvement District Board decided to postpone the election.
When the board members originally proposed a half-cent sales tax for the Business Loop 70 district, they didn’t think anyone lived in the district. In that case, the vote would be left to property owners. But it turns out, University of Missouri student Jen Henderson lives within the Community Improvement District, or CID, and legally would be the only person allowed to vote on the tax. CID Board Chairman Tom May says the anomaly of having a single voter in the district has delayed the process.
“Had the sales tax went back to the property owners like it was originally slated to do, we would be having an election right now. We’d be going through that process,” May said.
The proposed tax would affect shops within the Business Loop 70 district and the proceeds gained from the tax would go toward improvement projects, such as the reconstruction of sidewalks.
CID board member Vicki Kemna says the tax would hopefully bring the business loop up to par with other shopping areas in Columbia.
“I hate that the Business Loop area and the business owners are in a way, missing out on what some other areas have. There are nicer areas to shop in Columbia and we want to bring the Business Loop up to that level,” Kemna said.
May says the next step for the CID is to analyze the current situation and see what options they do have to move forward. They will continue to meet on a monthly basis.
