Portageville Council passes four new ordinances

During the monthly meeting of the Portageville City Council meeting held on May 7, the council passed four new ordinances, some of which will be placed on the August Primary Election Ballot.

The first dealt with a non-binding burn ban.

This ordinance is calling for a special advisory election on the question of prohibiting burning yard wast in the City of Portageville. The question that will appear on the August ballot reads, “Shall the City of Portageville prohibit the open burning of trash, lumber, leaves, straw or any other combustible material?”

The second ordinance dealt with approving and authorizing an advance agreement by and between the City of Portageville and the Missouri Public Utilities Commission pertaining to the facilities and improvements to the City's combined waterworks and sewerage system.

The voters of the City have approved the issuance of revenue bonds for the Project in an amount not Therefore the City deems it advisable and appropriate to finance on an interim basis through the Missouri Public Utilities Commission (the "Authority") the cost of the Project which will be permanently financed through the USDA Rural Development. The City has made application to the Authority for the purpose of providing monies to construct the Project; and in order to obtain such monies, the City is required to enter into an Advance Agreement with the Authority.

The Council hereby approves and authorizes the Advance Agreement between the City and the Authority for the purpose of providing the necessary financing to the City for the Project and the Master Advance Note from the City to the Authority in the amount not to exceed $3,000,000.

The third ordinance the local sales tax usage. This ordinance provides for submission of a proposal to DISCONTINUE application and collection of the Local Sales Tax on the titling of motor vehicles, trailers, boats, and outboard motors that were purchased from another source that a licensed Missouri dealer tot he voters of the City for their approval. A special election has been called to be held in the City on Tuesday, November 6, 2018.

The four ordinance is asking about imposing a Use Tax for general revenue purposes. This too will be ask before the voters in the November election.

An ordinance imposing a use tax for general revenue purposes at the rate of two percent (2.00%) for the privilege of storing, using or consuming within the City any article of tangible personal property pursuant to the authority granted by and subject to the provisions of Sections 144.600 through 144.761 RSMo; providing for the use tax to be repealed, reduced or raised in the same amount as any city sales tax is repealed, reduced or raised; and providing for submission of the proposal to the qualified voters of the City for their approval at the special election called and to be held in the City on, November 6, 2018.

The question to be asked in November is, “Shall the City of Portageville impose a local use tax at the same rate as the total local sales tax rate, currently 2.00%, provided that if the local sales tax rate is reduced or raised by voter approval, the local use tax rate shall also be reduced or raised by the same action?

A use tax return shall not be required to be filed by persons whose purchases from out-of-state vendors do not in total exceed two thousand dollars in any calendar year.

In other business, the Council approved all of the liquor license requests and discussed water usage during summer pool operations.

The City of Portageville has changed the way they administer pool adjusts. You must call City Hall for a one-time sewer adjustment that will be applied based on your average usage. The adjusts

will only be given for call ins during the months of May, June and July.

If you have any further questions or need to be given a pool adjust, please contact Michele or Carol at 573-379-5789.