Alton, Mo. –On April 5, 2025, the Oregon County commissioners held an info meeting at the Alton Multi-Purpose Building. The main topic was the 1/2 cent tax being on the ballot on April 8th.
The Meeting
For all those who attended, a free meal containing a pulled pork sandwich, potato salad, beans, and a water was given out. Bootleggers prepared the food. There were over 40 people in attendance. David Stubblefield, the county commissioner, Jake Parker, the northern county commissioner, Dennis Morgan, he southern county commissioner, and Chris Johnston, in charge of Oregon County Emergency Management, led the meeting.
Chris Johnston
After a little introductory talk, Chris Johnston talked. He suggested that individuals decline the $750 a day from FEMA, because there will be further paperwork down the road. He also said to call the sheriff’s office with any damage that wasn’t documented or wasn’t documented properly. The sheriff’s office will need your name, phone number, address, what was damaged, what caused the damage (tornado or flood), and, if possible, if you have insurance. Johnston and his office are busy so if you have not heard back from him withing 7 days, give him a call.
Commissioners
The commissioners talked next. Stubblefield said that the 1/2 cent sales tax would be used primarily for material for the roads. Jake Parker said that in one day alone, they probably spent $100,000 trying to get people “in and out.” Of the 300 miles in his part of the county, Parker said that 250 of them are destroyed. He also said that around 62 low water crossings need to be replaced, of which they will have to hire contractors. Dennis Morgan said that with the flooding, a lot of material is gone that can’t be taken back. He also said that the main reason they want the tax is to get materials to fix the road.
Other Tax
Another item on the ballot that was talked about was the senior citizen tax. This tax would be for senior citizens aged 62 and older. If passed, the county assessor will more than likely come out to your property to review it. Most of the time with reviews, the taxes go up. Once the taxes go up, they will be frozen; and senior citizens will pay that tax until they die. If passed, senior citizens could opt out of this tax.
Other Note
As a side note, Jake Parker also said that the federal government is reducing the funding of national forests by 80%.
