VIENNA — The Maries County Commissioners met twice during the week of Dec. 12 and discussed setting up a tax on marijuana sales in the county. They reached a decision to put a measure on the April ballot  after a split vote on how to divide the tax revenue.

“If we want, we would run a ballot measure that would charge three percent (tax) on recreational marijuana that is sold in Maries County,” Presiding Commissioner Victor Stratman said. “We can elect where that money goes, so that could go toward the prosecuting attorney’s salary.”

In August, Maries County voters approved a ballot measure to make the county’s prosecutor a full-time employee. The vote increases Prosecuting Attorney Tony Skouby’s current part-time salary from $52,101 to $146,812 in accordance with state law that says full-time prosecuting attorneys must receive the same pay as associate circuit court judges. 

Stratman said he had talked to State Representative Bennie Cook about potential legislation for the state to fund prosecuting attorney salaries, “but who knows how long that would take.”

The other commissioners said such legislation would be unlikely to ever happen.

“How much money do you project that’s going to generate?” Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel asked.

“It won’t be much for a while,” Western District Commissioner Ed Fagre said. “But 10 years down the road it will help someone out a whole lot.”

Drewel compared it to the county’s use tax on online purchases.

“When that was first done, it didn’t amount to anything,” he said. “Now, it’s a pretty big deal.”

At the Dec. 5 meeting, Treasurer Rhonda Slone and Treasurer-Elect Angie Stricklan presented data that showed the use tax had been the county’s highest source of sales tax revenue so far this year.

“This marijuana thing may be a big deal in 10 years,” Drewel said. “It might not be anything. But if you don’t put it in place now, it won’t be done then.”

“One person plants the tree and another enjoys the shade,” Fagre said.

“And if we don’t plant the seed, there’s not going to be much shade,” Drewel said.

“I don’t think it’s going to make a lot,” Stratman said about the marijuana tax. “At three percent, we’d have to sell a lot in Maries County. But over a period of time, it might.”

There is currently no business licensed to sell recreational marijuana in Maries County.

Drewel asked why the county would designate the taxes for a specific purpose, such as the prosecuting attorney’s salary, rather than designating the money to the General Revenue fund.

“If you put it in General Revenue it actually goes for the whole county even if you pay him,” he said.

“I think we need to do it and put it in General Revenue,” Fagre said.

Drewel also suggested splitting the tax revenue among general revenue and each road district.

“If you earmark it for one deal, a lot of people will wonder why you would do that,” Drewel said. Stratman and Fagre supported putting all the money into General Revenue.

The commissioners decided to put the measure on the ballot for the April 2023 election.

“It’d be silly not to do it,” Drewel said. “Why would you leave three percent of money laying out there? It’s all about the money. It’s got to come from somewhere. How many of these people would rather see it coming from the people that are going to use marijuana than people out here with land? Do you want your real estate taxes to go up?”

“Or when they’re shopping for groceries,” Fagre said.

“That’s right,” Drewel said. “You don’t have to have this. It’s recreational. If you want to spend (money on) it, spend it. If you want it to go up in smoke, let it go up in smoke. Isn’t that what Cheech and Chong said?”

“The people have to vote on it,” Fagre said.

“I can’t imagine they wouldn’t if we explain that it’s not going to affect everybody,” Stratman said. “It’s just the people who choose to buy recreational marijuana.”

Drewel pointed out that a similar tax already applies to cigarette purchases.

Fagre asked when the tax would go into effect. County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers said if it passed on the April ballot, it would take effect the following quarter.

At the Dec. 15 meeting, the commissioners reviewed the paperwork Rodgers had put together for the commissioners to sign to put the tax proposal on the April ballot. Drewel revisited the idea of splitting the tax revenue between the General Revenue fund and the two road districts.

“I think we do one percent for each road (district) and one percent to General Revenue,” Drewel said. “Once you put it in General Revenue, you can’t take it out and give it to the road districts.”

“You’ll still be getting your gas tax,” Stratman said. Drewel expressed concern about rising prices for equipment.

Stratman asked Fagre for his opinion.

“Well, we could put one percent split 55-45 between the road districts,” Fagre said.

Drewel suggested instead splitting two percent 55-45 between the road districts.

Stratman asked to compare the budgets of the two road districts and the General Revenue fund. Rodgers looked up the data, which said General Revenue is about $2 million, Road One is about $1 million and Road Two is about $484,000.

“So there is a lot more funded through General Revenue,” Stratman said. “It isn’t even close.”

Drewel made a motion to amend the paperwork to propose a split of the money between the road districts and General Revenue.

“Two votes are better than one, so it’s whatever you all want to do,” he told the other commissioners.

Fagre seconded the motion. He told Stratman to vote his conscience even though the motion had already passed. Stratman voted no.

“You guys override me,” Stratman said. “That’s how it goes.”

The ballot proposal will be a three percent tax on recreational marijuana. Of that three percent, two percent, split 55 percent and 45 percent will go to the road districts, and the other one percent will go to General Revenue.