Presiding Commissioner Lynn Martin, Eastern Commissioner Bradley Jackson and Western Commissioner Johnny Williams spent an extended portion of the Oct. 30 meeting explaining a proposed county use tax (referred to in materials as Proposition A) and the commission’s intended actions if voters approve it.

Martin and the commissioners said the proposed use tax is a 1.5% county rate that would apply to out‑of‑state online purchases and mirror the county sales tax rate for in‑county transactions; they framed the tax as a tool to “level the playing field” for local retailers and to reduce sales tax revenue leakage to out‑of‑state sellers. Martin said the county previously put a similar measure on the ballot in 2013 and that several municipalities in the county (Nixa, Highlandville, Clever, Billings and Fremont Hills) already levy a use tax.

Commissioners described a plan to roll back the county’s property levy from 0.446 to 0.01 (a rollback of roughly 77–78% of the county portion) should voters approve the use tax, and they said that the Hancock Amendment and state law limit how quickly the county could raise the levy again. They said the commission’s intent in proposing the measure is to preserve services without increasing property taxes and to protect county employees and services as the county grows.

Commissioners emphasized outreach to inform residents: they cited interviews with local media and public presentations and encouraged residents to contact commissioners directly with questions. Martin provided a county phone number for constituents and urged voters to consider the county’s long‑term funding outlook, citing stagnant sales tax receipts and rising service demands (roads, law enforcement, court services) amid population growth.

Speakers explicitly cited the Missouri Supreme Court’s recent action affecting local marijuana sales tax collection and referenced Senate Bill 190 and the Hancock Amendment when discussing legal and constitutional constraints. Commissioners said any increase of the levy after a rollback would be subject to Hancock Amendment limitations.

No formal vote on the use tax occurred at the meeting; commissioners used the time for public explanation and outreach.

Sources: commissioners’ statements to Christian County Commission, Oct. 30, 2025; references made in meeting audio.