Sullivan County Voters Approve Water Project, Reject Use Taxes

SULLIVAN COUNTY, Mo. — Voters across Sullivan County delivered mixed results on several ballot questions during the April 7 municipal election, approving a major infrastructure project while rejecting local use tax proposals in two communities.

The most decisive outcome came from Public Water Supply District No. 1, where voters approved a $5 million bond issue to fund improvements to the district’s waterworks system. The measure passed with 317 votes in favor and 169 against. The funding will be used for acquiring, constructing, extending and improving the system, with costs to be paid through system revenues rather than general taxation.

Supporters of the measure have pointed to the need for long-term system reliability and upgrades to aging infrastructure, particularly in rural areas where consistent water service is critical for residents, agriculture and local development.

In contrast, voters in both Milan and Green City rejected proposed local use taxes that would have matched existing local sales tax rates. In Milan, the measure failed 66 to 42, while Green City voters turned down the proposal 41 to 37. The use taxes were intended to apply to out-of-state purchases and adjust alongside any future changes to local sales tax rates.

Countywide, voters narrowly approved a measure allowing Sullivan County to implement a property tax credit for eligible homeowners. The proposal passed 360 to 328 and will allow qualifying taxpayers to be exempt from certain increases in property taxes on their primary residence above the amount paid in an initial credit year.

Election results showed a total of 718 ballots cast out of 3,799 registered voters, reflecting a turnout of approximately 18.9 percent.

The ballot questions addressed a range of financial and infrastructure priorities, with results reflecting both support for essential public improvements and hesitation toward new or expanded tax measures.