When Missouri voters approved recreational marijuana it opened the door for municipalities and counties to seek sales taxes on those purchases.
So, Columbia and Boone County both will have ballot questions seeking voter approval of a 3% sales tax on recreational marijuana sales.
The state already collects a 6% sales tax on recreational purchases, but there are conflicting messages about whether the state, county and local taxes are stackable. In other words, will the true tax rate just be 6% or maybe even 9% or 12% depending on where one lives in Boone County.
While Columbia voters will vote both on the city and county tax question, the way the county is interpreting the tax is that its tax only applies to businesses in unincorporated portions of the county, said Boone County Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick.
Depending on what the final determination is from the Missouri Department of revenue that means there are two sellers in the county in unincorporated areas, leading to revenue estimates from the county of anywhere from $40,000 to $1 million.
The county initially plans to put its focus on processing record expungements with the revenue, Kendrick said, adding after that process concludes the county has left it open ended as to how future revenue is spent. The tax revenue is going to the general fund instead of toward a specific program.
The county has until June 8 to effect expungements on those with lesser drug charges. Those with older convictions or more complicated…