By a 7-2 vote, the City Council of Joplin, Mo., agreed to place a sales-tax referendum on the April ballot to fund the Joplin Museum Complex‘s proposed move to historic Memorial Hall, according to the Joplin Globe.
Voters will be asked to authorize a special museum sales tax of one-sixth of a cent to pay off $7 million in debt that would be used to remodel Memorial Hall for use as exhibit and meeting space for the Joplin Museum Complex.
After the loan was paid off, the tax would be reduced to one-eighth of a cent to support operations of the museum. Brad Belk, the museum director, told the council that the museum staff would increase from 4.5 positions now to about 12 for the larger Memorial Hall museum. Annual operating costs would increase from about $214,000 now to $1.3 million, according to information discussed at the council meeting.
The museum would include displays about the town’s Route 66 history. The Joplin Museum Complex has long been looking for ways to expand its space, as it has as much artifacts in storage as it does on display. Memorial Hall, which was dedicated to area veterans, also is being underused as a performance venue.
Severa members of American Legion Post 13 opposed the plan, even though the plan includes exhibit space to Joplin’s veterans and the town’s wartime efforts. The plan also would add two seats on the museum’s board to area veterans, and area veterans groups could continue to use Memorial Hall for meetings.
However, a representative from a veterans group in nearby Carthage, Mo., supported the plan.
A number of people asked whether the historic railroad depot was an option. It is not:
Asked by Councilman Bill Scearce whether the Union Depot would be suitable for the museum’s purpose, Belk said the museum board had looked at it five years ago and determined it was not large enough, was polluted with contaminants, would require extensive and costly infrastructure work, and was not as visible a location as Memorial Hall.
Fourteen people who attended the meeting voiced support for the Memorial Hall museum plan. Seven opposed.
Approving a tax increase amid a recession and changing the original purpose of Memorial Hall is going to be a tough sell. I’m not saying voters won’t approve it, but there had better be a lot of persuasion and education by the museum to get it done.
This is a bad plan with vague ballot wording at the wrong time. Vote NO