The April 7 municipal elections are next week with a variety of races and ballot measures up for vote.

A significant ballot measure is a sales tax increase sought by area first responder agencies.

The Warrenton Fire Protection District, Wright City Fire Protection District, Warren County Ambulance District are all seeking one-cent sales tax increases during the election April 7.

According to area agencies, the request is due to concerns at the state level regarding the possible reduction or elimination of future property taxes. 

In a previous interview, Warrenton Fire Protection District Chief Anthony Hayeslip said that for months the district’s board has been working with their accountant to crunch the numbers, considering the growing movement at the state level to eliminate or significantly reduce property taxes.

Hayeslip said the district decided to join other entities around the state in the movement to incorporate sales tax into the way the district collects property taxes.

In a previous interview, Wright City Fire Chief Ron MacKnight said the movement is supported by local union officials and is a collaboration of several districts in the area to attempt to get ahead of potential reductions and property taxes. He said that part of the goal is to reduce the burden for the cost of services off of residents and spread it around to include people who also shop in the community. 

Ambulance District Administrator Darren Lenk also said, in a prior interview, that the goal in part is to help reduce some of the burden property owners are currently experiencing and spread costs out to a broader swath of people.

For Warrenton, Hayeslip said that the district anticipates the one-cent sales tax would generate roughly $1.6 million, however $800,000 of that would need to be reduced from property taxes, resulting in a lower rate for property owners.

MacKnight said their estimates are around $1.2 million, with half needing to be rolled back from property taxes.

Lenk said the figure for the ambulance district is approximately $3.2 million, with the same 50 percent rollback the other districts would experience.

According to a recent cost benefit analysis provided to the City of Warrenton for the proposed data center project, the Warrenton Fire Protection District stands to gain approximately $420 million in personal property tax revenues over a 20 year period, or over $21 million per year, while the Warrenton County Ambulance District stands to gain approximately $197 million over a 20 year period, or just shy of $10 million per year. For real property taxes the fire district could receive approximately $256 million over 20 years, or approximately $12.5 million per year, while the ambulance district could receive approximately $120 million, or about $6 million per year.

Also on the ballot is a vote under Senate Bill 3 which asks voters whether the county should exempt taxpayers from tax increases on a taxpayer's primary residence above the liability incurred during the initial credit year.

Locally the following races are on the ballot:

Warrenton Board of Aldermen

The Warrenton Board of Alderman has three two-year terms available. Ward 1 Alderman Jack Crump, Ward 2 Alderman Scott Schulze and Ward 3 Alderman Brandon Lang have terms expiring April 2026.

In Ward 1 Jack Crump and Cody Turner are the candidates, in Ward 2 Scott Schulze, Josh Chandler and Anna Farrar face off while in Ward 3 Brandon Lang and Joe Shepard are running against each other.

Truesdale Board of Aldermen

The Truesdale Board of Aldermen has two two-year terms available.

Mike Thomas, Kelly Riehl and Kevin McCurdy are the candidates.

Wright City Board of Aldermen

The Wright City Board of Aldermen has one contested two-year position.

In Ward 2 Russ Lyons and John Woehrle are the candidates for the position.

Village of Innsbrook Board of Trustees

The Innsbrook Village Board of Trustees has two two-year trustee seats available.

Donna West, Cynthia Cook, Virgal Woolfolk and Sandra Zahradka are the candidates.

Wright City R-II School District

The Wright City R-II School District has three three-year positions available.

Frank Zykan, Alice Jensen, Beth Dean and Kyle Lewis are the candidates for the three spots.

Warren County Ambulance District

The Warren County Ambulance District has two three-year openings for directors.

In District 1 Diane Grimes and Neal St. Onge are facing off, while in District 4 Teresa Edwards and Christina Allen are the candidates.

Village of Pendleton

The Village of Pendleton also has an election for two two-year trustees, but no formal candidates are listed.