BELLE — Maries County voters are facing several tax initiatives on the upcoming April 7 ballot, including Proposition A that extends the life of a current one-half percent tax for another ten years.

Presiding Commissioner Vic Stratman said that people have been already paying the tax for years and that there would be no additional costs to the citizens of Maries County to renew it.

“I wanted to bring up that we have a renewal of a sales tax coming up in the April election. I know we have done this in the past. It mostly benefits the sheriff’s department, but also benefits the county and road districts as well,”  Stratman said. “We definitely need the county to pass that to extend that sales tax. It’s not an increase in tax. It’s a renewal of a tax that’s been in effect for several years that has an automatic sunset, and that sunset happens at the end of this year. It’s really going to put the county in a bind next year if that doesn’t pass.”

Commissioners have mentioned in several meetings that the funds generated by this tax are key to several county operations, including the sheriff’s office. The current tax will expire if residents do not approve Proposition A, which would cut funds to the county that are used for citizen safety, road maintenance and other general operations.

Maries County officials have emphasized that the continuation of the existing sales tax is not about increasing the financial burden on residents, but about maintaining a stable source of funding that has already been built into the county’s operations. Over the years, the revenue generated by the tax has been factored into budgeting for essential services, allowing departments to plan ahead and operate without disruption. Without renewal, officials warn that the county would be forced to reevaluate how those services are funded, which could lead to difficult decisions regarding staffing, equipment, and long-term infrastructure planning.

In addition to supporting law enforcement, the tax plays a broader role in sustaining day-to-day county functions that residents rely on but may not always see. From maintaining roadways to supporting administrative operations and emergency response readiness, the funding helps ensure continuity across multiple departments.