Personal property taxes generated over $27 million for schools, emergency services and infrastructure in 2022.
The Butler County Commissioner’s office reported seven school districts — Poplar Bluff, Neelyville, Twin Rivers, East Carter, Doniphan, Naylor and Greenville — received 82% of personal and property taxes collected in the last fiscal year.
The rest was divided among the county, emergency services, Three Rivers College and tax-sponsored entities such as sheltered workshops.
This division is what has been approved by Butler County voters over the years.
“They’re all tax-based entities that were passed on the ballot,” said Butler County presiding commissioner Vince Lampe.
Although levies generally remained the same or decreased from past personal property taxes, this year’s total was $3 million more than five years ago. This was due to increased assessed valuation of properties.
“The assessed valuation went up on the properties but... (levies) went down,” Lampe said, following state statutes.
The current school district tax levies (per $100 of assessed property valuation) in Butler County and revenue generated in 2022 are (figures approximate):
• Poplar Bluff R-1: $3.6196 levy, $18.7 million in revenue.
• Neelyville R-4: $2.9306 levy, $1.3 million in revenue.
• Twin Rivers R-10: $2.9962 levy, $2.2 million in revenue.
• East Carter R-2C: $2.75 levy, $271,200 in revenue.
• Doniphan R-1R: $2.75 levy, $27,300 in revenue.
• Naylor R-2R: $3.4194 levy, $34,800 in revenue.
• Greenville R-2W: $3.11 levy, $69,800 in revenue.
Although the benefits of current taxes are great, Lampe thinks a different tax would pay massive dividends for the county: a use tax on certain out-of-state, online purchases. Currently, there is no sales tax on these purchases, even as online deliveries increase and require heavier use of roads and postal vehicles. Lampe believes taxing those purchases would cover needed repairs on those resources.
“If you go to Walmart, you pay the penny and a quarter that we get here for the county. But if you order it through Amazon, we do not get that penny and a quarter,” he explained.
Other personal and property tax collections for 2022 included (figures approximate):
• A little more than 5.5% of 2022 property and personal tax collections went to Three Rivers College, for a total of $1.5 million.
• Butler County Fire Department received almost 3.2%, or $874,400.
• The Butler County Sheltered Workshop received 2.3% or $620,800.
• Butler County Health Department saw just under 2.3%, or $619,500.
• Butler County’s general revenue fund, which pays the salaries of most county employees, excluding highway department staff, received 1.8%, or $486,300.
• The Senior Citizen’s tax received 1.1%, or $309,100.
Receiving less than $100,000 were: the state of Missouri; the county road fund; Qulin Fire Department; and the Naylor-Neelyville Ambulance District.
The Butler County Courthouse is located at 100 N. Main St. in Poplar Bluff.