VIENNA — The Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) will start collecting the 1 percent sales tax on May 1 for the Maries County Emergency Services Board (MCESB).

The sales tax for the board was approved in November 2025 and supposed to be collected from April 1, 2026, onward. However, a representative from DOR told County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers that they had lost the paperwork and that collection would not begin until July.

The county planned to fund the MCESB board, founded in January, through June, but because of the three-month delay, the county would spend an extra $100,000 to keep the board running. Now that collection is only delayed by one month, the cost is an estimated additional $15,000 instead. The DOR is communicating with businesses to make sure that they are aware of the May 1 imposition.

Missouri State Statute 32.087 requires a county to inform the director of revenue of a new sales tax approved by voters within 10 days. The sales tax will then become effective the second quarter after the tax is passed.

Rodgers received confirmation on Nov. 10, 2025, that the DOR had received the paperwork. They later called and asked under what statute the tax was submitted. Her last email before discovering the problem was on Nov. 25, 2025, saying that the sales tax was under State Statute 190.335.

When the commissioners found out during their March 30 meeting, Presiding Commissioner Vic Stratman called state Rep. Bennie Cook, who then contacted the DOR.

According to JoDonn Chaney, DOR director of strategy and communications, after Rodgers’ email, a processing delay caused the later July start date. He said that he did not know what caused the delay.

Director of Revenue Trish Vincent said that the department promptly received the necessary information from Rodgers and that it’s the DOR’s fault for the delay.

“The error was that this fell through the cracks, and the appropriate things weren’t done on a timely matter to get them started collecting in April,” Vincent said.

But she was not aware of the paperwork being lost.

“If somebody told you we lost it, I apologize for that. We had the documentation, and we just did not do what we were supposed to do,” Vincent said.

In the future, Vincent said that the department will better keep track of election dates so that they can follow up with county clerks. She hopes that this new system will avoid this mistake in the future.

Cook appreciates the commissioners contacting him and believes that it is his job as an elected official to help his constituents find resolutions to issues like these.

“Just make sure, if people have any questions, concerns with any kind of state department or state issue, please reach out sooner than later so I can try to help out — get it resolved with hopefully a positive resolution,” Cook said.