HCS HB 2070 -- JOINT CENTRAL FIRE AND EMERGENCY DISPATCHING
SERVICES TAXES

SPONSOR:  Bruns (Kelly)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Public
Safety by a vote of 12 to 0.

Currently, funds collected from a central fire and emergency
dispatching services tax must be used solely for the purpose of
establishing and providing the joint services except in St. Louis
County where the funds are used for equipment and services by
cities, towns, villages, counties, or fire protection districts
which contract with the joint central fire and emergency
dispatching service except for salaries, wages, and benefits.
This substitute specifies that all funds derived from the tax,
including any existing surplus funds, may be used by any city,
town, village, county, or fire protection district or a central
fire and emergency service board for these purposes.

The substitute also specifies that in charter counties no revenue
derived from the tax can be used for any purpose other than the
stated purposes, unless and until a proposal is submitted to and
approved by the voters of the fire protection district to use the
revenue for general revenue purposes.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds in FY 2011, FY 2012, and
FY 2013.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill allows fire districts
more needed flexibility in using moneys in the fund that was
created to pay for joint dispatching services.

Testifying for the bill was Representative Kelly.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 14, 2010 at 3:12 pm