(From KGCS)On April 8th, Jasper County voters will be asked to support a quarter cent sales tax to create a Children’s Services Fund. A Missouri law, passed nearly 30 years ago, allows for counties to establish a fund through a voter approved tax for the purpose of services to protect the well-being and safety of children. A group called Jasper County 4 Kids worked to put the question on the ballot and discusses details of the initiative on the next Newsmakers program.
Jasper County 4 Kids volunteer, Terry Wachter says conditions for children in the county have declined. The Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count which analyzes data, ranked Jasper County 98th out of 114 counties in the state.
Jen Black with the Alliance of Southwest Missouri, Stephanie Thies, with Children’s Haven and Betsy Mense, with the Children’s Center explained how they are funded by donations and grants which can be unreliable. All say there are rising rates of youth with mental health issues that need to be addressed. Charities and agencies could apply to a board that would be established for grants from the fund estimated to generate five million dollars annually. The program shares how funds can and cannot be spent.
Ashley Micklethwaite with Jasper County 4 Kids described the impact of the Children’s Services Fund in counties where voters have passed the tax. And Sheriff Randee Kaiser explains how the Jasper County Law Enforcement Sales Tax collections and disbursements operate successfully in a similar way to the Children’s Services Fund proposed.
Ashley Micklethwaite with Jasper County 4 Kids described the impact of the Children’s Services Fund in counties where voters have passed the tax. And Sheriff Randee Kaiser explains how the Jasper County Law Enforcement Sales Tax collections and disbursements operate successfully in a similar way to the Children’s Services Fund proposed.
Newsmakers is airing nightly at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. the week of March 30 on KGCS-TV and will air at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, April 5 on KOAM-TV. It is also posted on the station’s YouTube channel: KGCS – Missouri Southern State University.
KGCS-TV programming can be seen on channel 21 and is also available on regional cable television systems such as Sparklight, Mediacom and Suddenlink Communications. The station operates as a service of the Department of Communication at Missouri Southern State University.
