Webster Groves Mayor Gerry Welch had very little to say after Proposition 1 was defeated on Tuesday by a scant 13 votes.
âIâm really disappointed. Thatâs the only comment I have at the moment,â Welch said the day after the election. âIt (Prop 1) would have given the city some needed, additional revenue without much impact on our residents.â
Prop 1 asked voters to impose the cityâs local sales tax on out-of-state online purchases that exceeded $2,000 over the course of a year. The city of Webster Groves estimated the new tax would bring in about $250,000 per year, with monies going toward priorities to be determined by the city council.Â
Mayor Gerry Welch of Webster Groves is among those raising concerns over a proposed 21% water rate hike. The region’s major water utility wants to increase revenues by $75 million.
The Webster Groves City Council is set to vote Jan. 5 on placing a use tax â covering internet purchases âon the April 2021 ballot.
A use tax is a sales tax imposed on the purchase of goods by Missouri residents and businesses from out-of-state vendors.
âA use tax would create fair competition for our local brick-and-mortar stores,â said Interim City Manager Joan Jadali. âIt would provide the city an equitable amount of sales tax revenue for comparable items purchased out of state, and allow the city to once again receive revenues that have been severely diminished due to online out-of-state purchases.â
The city is proposing a 1.5% use tax. The state of Missouri has had a 4.225% use tax for many years. If approved by city voters, the total use tax for Webster Groves residents making such purchases would be 5.725%. That compares to a 9.238%Â sales tax paid on brick-and-mortar store purchases, which includes state, county and city taxes, Jadali said.