A one-sixth sales-tax referendum that would have financed the conversion of Memorial Hall into expanded digs for the Joplin Museum Complex failed by a 4-to-1 margin, according to unofficial results tabulated Tuesday night by the Joplin Globe.
According to the Globe shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday, the referendum gained just 928 “yes” votes against 3,882 “no” votes.
Memorial Hall would have included displays about the town’s Route 66 history. The Joplin Museum Complex has long been looking for ways to expand because it has as much artifacts in storage as it does on display. Memorial Hall also is underused as a performance venue.
The Joplin City Council voted in January to put the proposal on the ballot. But I said at the time that a tax increase, no matter well-intentioned, would be a tough sell during a severe economic recession. Indeed, few voters were buying.