LETTER Time for change: reassessing outdated taxes to prevent Poplar Bluff flooding risks

To the Editor:

As an interested and affected individual, I have been watching and reading about the issue of tax reassessment for Drainage District 7 (DD7). I was really surprised that this has not been done for 100 years. I was also surprised at the pittance amounts the railroads, MoDOT (Missouri Department of Transportation), city of Poplar Bluff and the business entities referred to have been paying over the years.

It seems everybody likes free lunches when someone else pays. In this case, the agricultural landowners have been paying the bill. What was a fair amount 100 years ago is not a fair amount in 2025. I bought a soda pop for a nickel when I was a kid, but that’s ridiculous in 2025.

On a serious note, DD7 provides a major portion of drainage for Poplar Bluff and the surrounding rural area, benefiting farmers, landowners, city residents and business owners.

Poplar Bluff community leaders should be realizing that as the city grows and progresses, it must have good drainage or it will have flooding problems. DD7 needs help. It’s time to step up and benefit everyone.

Donald Doyle

Poplar Bluff