02/23/2026
Thank you for your questions. We want to answer as many as possible. Here is one we thought we'd share with you.
Question: Are you talking about college students as those who would be contributing if we have a sales tax? They rent, don’t pay property taxes, but buy groceries and such in Fayette. Is that the focus of the sales tax increase instead of the people simply driving through? Will this drive consumers to shop in a neighboring county? Can you share the data to back this move? Have other counties done this? How has it affected them?
Answer: We appreciate you asking for data and wanting to be informed before voting — that is exactly the kind of discussion we welcome.
In Missouri, sales tax is already a common funding model for ambulances and other local services. Currently, 75 of the 107 ambulance districts in Missouri have some form of local sales tax in place. In addition, 11 ambulance districts have sales tax initiatives appearing on the upcoming April ballot, including Cooper, Miller, St. Charles, St. Francois, Linn, Ozark, Salt River, Owensville, Lincoln, and Stone counties. This shows that many communities across the state are evaluating similar funding structures, not just ours. The goal is to diversify revenue sources so emergency medical services are not funded by only one tax type.
Regarding concerns about shoppers leaving the county — that is always something districts consider. Historical data from other counties generally shows that small fractional sales tax changes tend to have minimal impact on everyday purchasing behavior, especially for essentials like groceries and fuel. Convenience and proximity usually outweigh minor tax differences for most routine purchases.
Our objective is not a “tax swap,” but long-term stability for EMS operations. A sales tax allows contributions from a broader group of people who make purchases locally — including visitors and non-property owners — rather than relying entirely on property owners alone. Like any funding model, there are pros and cons, which is why many Missouri communities use a blended approach.
Transparency is important to us, and we appreciate the respectful questions.
