Mo. Rev. Stat. § 94.577 — MO Code / Chapter 94 / Section 94.577
94.577 Sales tax imposed in certain cities — rates of tax — election procedure — ...
Status: in_force

94.577. Sales tax imposed in certain cities — rates of tax — election procedure — revenue to be used for capital improvements — revenue bonds, retirement — special trust fund — limitation on use of revenue by city of St. Louis — refunds authorized — Kansas City alternative tax authorized. — 1. The governing body of any municipality except those located in whole or in part within any first class county having a charter form of government and not containing any part of a city with a population of four hundred thousand or more and adjacent to a city not within a county for that part of the municipality located within such first class county is hereby authorized to impose, by ordinance or order, a one-eighth, one-fourth, three-eighths, or one-half of one percent sales tax on all retail sales made in such municipality which are subject to taxation under the provisions of sections 144.010 to 144.525 for the purpose of funding capital improvements, including the operation and maintenance of capital improvements, which may be funded by issuing bonds which will be retired by the revenues received from the sales tax authorized by this section or the retirement of debt under previously authorized bonded indebtedness. A municipality located in a charter county may impose a sales tax on all retail sales for capital improvements as provided in section 94.890 . The tax authorized by this section shall be in addition to any and all other sales taxes allowed by law; but no ordinance imposing a sales tax under the provisions of this section shall be effective unless the governing body of the municipality submits to the voters of the municipality, at a municipal or state general, primary or special election, a proposal to authorize the governing body of the municipality to impose such tax and, if such tax is to be used to retire bonds authorized under this section, to authorize such bonds and their retirement by such tax, or to authorize the retirement of debt under previously authorized bonded indebtedness.

2. The ballot of submission shall contain, but need not be limited to:

(1) If the proposal submitted involves only authorization to impose the tax authorized by this section, the following language:

(2) If the proposal submitted involves authorization to issue bonds and repay such bonds with revenues from the tax authorized by this section, the following language:

If a majority of the votes cast on the proposal by the qualified voters voting thereon are in favor of the proposal, including when the proposal authorizes the reduction of debt under previously authorized bonded indebtedness under subdivision (1) of this subsection, then the ordinance or order and any amendments thereto shall be in effect, except that any proposal submitted under subdivision (2) of this subsection to issue bonds and impose a sales tax to retire such bonds must be approved by the constitutionally required percentage of the voters voting thereon to become effective. If a majority of the votes cast by the qualified voters voting are opposed to the proposal, then the governing body of the municipality shall have no power to issue any bonds or impose the sales tax authorized in this section unless and until the governing body of the municipality shall again have submitted another proposal to authorize the governing body of the municipality to issue any bonds or impose the sales tax authorized by this section, and such proposal is approved by the requisite majority of the qualified voters voting thereon; however, in no event shall a proposal pursuant to this section be submitted to the voters sooner than twelve months from the date of the last proposal pursuant to this section, except that any municipality with a population of greater than four hundred thousand and located within more than one county may submit a proposal pursuant to this section to the voters sooner than twelve months from the date of the last proposal submitted pursuant to this section if submitted to the voters on or before November 6, 2001.

3. All revenue received by a municipality from the tax authorized under the provisions of this section shall be deposited in a special trust fund and shall be used solely for capital improvements, including the operation and maintenance of capital improvements, for so long as the tax shall remain in effect. Once the tax authorized by this section is abolished or is terminated by any means, all funds remaining in the special trust fund required by this subsection shall be used solely for the maintenance of the capital improvements made with revenues raised by the tax authorized by this section. Any funds in the special trust fund required by this subsection which are not needed for current expenditures may be invested by the governing body in accordance with applicable laws relating to the investment of other municipal funds. The provisions of this subsection shall apply only to taxes authorized by this section which have not been imposed to retire bonds issued pursuant to this section.

4. All revenue received by a municipality which issues bonds under this section and imposes the tax authorized by this section to retire such bonds shall be deposited in a special trust fund and shall be used solely to retire such bonds, except to the extent that such funds are required for the operation and maintenance of capital improvements. Once all of such bonds have been retired, all funds remaining in the special trust fund required by this subsection shall be used solely for the maintenance of the capital improvements made with the revenue received as a result of the issuance of such bonds. Any funds in the special trust fund required by this subsection which are not needed to meet current obligations under the bonds issued under this section may be invested by the governing body in accordance with applicable laws relating to the investment of other municipal funds. The provisions of this subsection shall apply only to taxes authorized by this section which have been imposed to retire bonds issued under this section.

5. After the effective date of any tax imposed under the provisions of this section, the director of revenue shall perform all functions incident to the administration, collection, enforcement, and operation of the tax in the same manner as provided in sections 94.500 to 94.550 , and the director of revenue shall collect in addition to the sales tax for the state of Missouri the additional tax authorized under the authority of this section. The tax imposed pursuant to this section and the tax imposed under the sales tax law of the state of Missouri shall be collected together and reported upon such forms and under such administrative rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the director of revenue. Except as modified in this section, all provisions of sections 32.085 and 32.087 shall apply to the tax imposed under this section.

6. No tax imposed pursuant to this section for the purpose of retiring bonds issued under this section may be terminated until all of such bonds have been retired.

7. In any city not within a county, no tax shall be imposed pursuant to this section for the purpose of funding in whole or in part the construction, operation or maintenance of a sports stadium, field house, indoor or outdoor recreational facility, center, playing field, parking facility or anything incidental or necessary to a complex suitable for any type of professional sport or recreation, either upon, above or below the ground.

8. Any tax imposed under this section in any home rule city with more than four hundred thousand inhabitants and located in more than one county solely for public transit purposes shall not be considered economic activity taxes as such term is defined under sections 99.805 and 99.918 , and tax revenues derived from such tax shall not be subject to allocation under the provisions of subsection 3 of section 99.845 or subsection 4 of section 99.957 .

9. The director of revenue may authorize the state treasurer to make refunds from the amounts in the trust fund and credited to any municipality for erroneous payments and overpayments made, and may redeem dishonored checks and drafts deposited to the credit of such municipalities. If any municipality abolishes the tax, the municipality shall notify the director of revenue of the action at least ninety days prior to the effective date of the repeal and the director of revenue may order retention in the trust fund, for a period of one year, of two percent of the amount collected after receipt of such notice to cover possible refunds or overpayment of the tax and to redeem dishonored checks and drafts deposited to the credit of such accounts. After one year has elapsed after the effective date of abolition of the tax in such municipality, the director of revenue shall remit the balance in the account to the municipality and close the account of that municipality. The director of revenue shall notify each municipality of each instance of any amount refunded or any check redeemed from receipts due the municipality.

10. If any city abolishes the tax authorized under subsections 1 to 9 of this section, the repeal of such tax shall become effective December thirty-first of the calendar year in which such abolishment was approved. Each city shall notify the director of revenue at least ninety days prior to the effective date of the expiration of the sales tax authorized by this section and the director of revenue may order retention in the trust fund, for a period of one year, of two percent of the amount collected after receipt of such notice to cover possible refunds or overpayment of such tax and to redeem dishonored checks and drafts deposited to the credit of such accounts. After one year has elapsed after the date of expiration of the tax authorized by this section in such city, the director of revenue shall remit the balance in the account to the city and close the account of that city. The director of revenue shall notify each city of each instance of any amount refunded or any check redeemed from receipts due the city.

11. Any home rule city with more than four hundred thousand inhabitants and located in more than one county is hereby authorized to impose, in lieu of the tax authorized under subsection 1 of this section, by ordinance or order, a one-eighth, one-fourth, three-eighths, or one-half of one percent sales tax on all retail sales made in such municipality which are subject to taxation under the provisions of sections 144.010 to 144.525 for the purpose of providing revenues for public safety activities, including operations and capital improvements, which may be funded by issuing bonds which will be retired by the revenues received from the sales tax authorized by this section or the retirement of debt under previously authorized bonded indebtedness. The tax authorized by this section shall be in addition to any and all other sales taxes allowed by law; but no ordinance imposing a sales tax under the provisions of this section shall be effective unless the governing body of the municipality submits to the voters of the municipality, at a municipal or state general, primary or special election, a proposal to authorize the governing body of the municipality to impose such tax and, if such tax is to be used to retire bonds authorized under this section, to authorize such bonds and their retirement by such tax, or to authorize the retirement of debt under previously authorized bonded indebtedness.

12. The ballot of submission shall contain, but need not be limited to:

(1) If the proposal submitted involves only authorization to impose the tax authorized by this section, the following language:

(2) If the proposal submitted involves authorization to issue bonds and repay such bonds with revenues from the tax authorized by this section, the following language:

The ballot may include descriptions of specific uses to which the revenues from the tax will be applied.

If a majority of the votes cast on the proposal by the qualified voters voting thereon are in favor of the proposal, including when the proposal authorizes the reduction of debt under previously authorized bonded indebtedness under subdivision (1) of this subsection, then the ordinance or order and any amendments thereto shall be in effect, except that any proposal submitted under subdivision (2) of this subsection to issue bonds and impose a sales tax to retire such bonds must be approved by the constitutionally required percentage of the voters voting thereon to become effective. If a majority of the votes cast by the qualified voters voting are opposed to the proposal, then the governing body of the municipality shall have no power to issue any bonds or impose the sales tax authorized in this section unless and until the governing body of the municipality shall again have submitted another proposal to authorize the governing body of the municipality to issue any bonds or impose the sales tax authorized by subsection 11 of this section, and such proposal is approved by the requisite majority of the qualified voters voting thereon.

13. All revenue received by a municipality from the tax authorized under the provisions of subsection 11 of this section shall be deposited in a special trust fund and shall be used solely for public safety activities for so long as the tax shall remain in effect. Once the tax authorized by this section is abolished or is terminated by any means, all funds remaining in the special trust fund required by this subsection shall be used solely for the public safety activities authorized in subsection 11 of this section. Any funds in the special trust fund required by this subsection which are not needed for current expenditures may be invested by the governing body in accordance with applicable laws relating to the investment of other municipal funds. The provisions of this subsection shall apply only to taxes authorized by this subsection which have not been imposed to retire bonds issued pursuant to this subsection.

14. All revenue received by a municipality which issues bonds under subsection 11 of this section and imposes the tax authorized by this section to retire such bonds shall be deposited in a special trust fund and shall be used solely to retire such bonds, except to the extent that such funds are required for the operation of the public safety department. Once all of such bonds have been retired, all funds remaining in the special trust fund required by this subsection shall be used solely for public safety activities. Any funds in the special trust fund required by this subsection which are not needed to meet current obligations under the bonds issued under this section may be invested by the governing body in accordance with applicable laws relating to the investment of other municipal funds. The provisions of this subsection shall apply only to taxes authorized by subsection 11 of this section which have been imposed to retire bonds issued under this section.

15. After the effective date of any tax imposed under the provisions of subsection 11 of this section, the director of revenue shall perform all functions incident to the administration, collection, enforcement, and operation of the tax in the same manner as provided in sections 94.500 to 94.550 , and the director of revenue shall collect in addition to the sales tax for the state of Missouri the additional tax authorized under the authority of this section. The tax imposed pursuant to this section and the tax imposed under the sales tax law of the state of Missouri shall be collected together and reported upon such forms and under such administrative rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the director of revenue. Except as modified in this section, all provisions of sections 32.085 and 32.087 shall apply to the tax imposed under this section.

16. No tax imposed pursuant to subsection 11 of this section for the purpose of retiring bonds issued under this section may be terminated until all of such bonds have been retired.

(L. 1987 H.B. 210 § 1, A.L. 1988 S.B. 645, A.L. 1989 H.B. 473, A.L. 1991 H.B. 29, A.L. 1995 H.B. 607, A.L. 2001 H.B. 80, A.L. 2008 S.B. 1131, A.L. 2010 H.B. 1442 merged with S.B. 981)