By James B. Bartle
Franklin County voters will have one measure on the April 5 ballot that is county wide with Proposition A.
If approved, Proposition A would raise the existing property tax for developmental services in Franklin County from 10 cents per $100 assessed valuation to 20 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
County home owners who own a home of $200,000 would see an increase of less than 75 cents per week, or $38 a year, in their real estate taxes.
The Franklin County Committee for Prop A is working to convince taxpayers to approve the measure. The group has not seen a tax incease since 1987, over 25 years ago.
All funds generated stay in the county, which is served by the Developmental Services of Franklin County. The funding, which presently generates $1.7 million each year, helps fund programs, such as Rainbow Activity Center, Exceptional Equestrians, the McGee Autism Center, Franklin County Transportation Council, and the Sheltered Workshops in Sullivan and Washington.
In Missouri, developmental disabilities include: autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, head injury, learning disability related to brain dysfunction, mental impairment/physical impairment, mental retardation/intellectual disability, substantial problems in two or more of the following areas: walking, talking, learning, self-care, living independently, or obtaining and keeping a job, and problems that are likely to continue indefinitely.
Who will oversee these funds?
According to the FCCPA, State statutes establish guidelines for the operation of the SB40 board, which is made up of a variety of individuals within the community and appointed by the county commission. In addition, the county is unique in the fact that the non-profit agencies that serve people with developmental disabilities have formed an alliance and a non-profit entity to make sure the people are being served with the highest possible standards.
That entity is called the Developmental Disabilities Rescource Board of Franklin County. It is made up of a board of directors from each of the non-profit agencies. All together, there are over 70 local community leaders that serve on either the DDRB or one of the participating agencies boards of directors.
If the measure is approved, the funds could also help increase state and federal funding.
The group states that the funds are needed now due to the growing numbers of those residents in the county needing developmental services.
The group states that their dollars have been stretched as far as they can at this point, and demand continues to grow.
“Children with developmental disabilities become adults with developmental disabilities. To make our community the most beneficial and productive for these citizens, we need to address the issues throughout the life span of these citizens,” concluded the FCCPA.