The Boone County Commission on Thursday voted to add an expiration date to the county law enforcement sales tax that will be on the ballot in November.
The 3/8 cent sales tax going before voters in the Nov. 3 election, known as Proposition L, will now have a sunset date of Dec. 31, 2042.
When the commission approved putting the sales tax on the ballot, the measure contained no expiration date.
The tax would help fund the construction of a new Boone County Jail, according to previous KOMU 8 reporting.
Projections indicate that revenue collected over the 15 years would cover the bond payments for the initial buildout of the facility, according to the release.
They also found it would help fund anticipated operating cost increases, out-of-county housing costs and initial savings to upgrade the jail for its "phase two," according to the release.
The new jail's initial construction would include 570 beds, better mental health accommodation and opportunities for expansion, according to the release.
The project would take a minimum of four years to complete and allow for three additional phases spanning decades if necessary, according to the release.
The Boone County Jail's current space does not fit its needs, according to the release.
Court orders requiring defendants to be held in the Boone County Jail despite limited space means the county houses more detainees out-of-county than in-county.
As of Tuesday, 202 of 405 Boone County detainees were housed in at least 14 different counties across Missouri, according to the release. Out-of-county housing costs grew from $499,000 in 2022 to more than $2.5 million in 2025, according to the report.
"With over $1 million spent to house detainees out-of-county during the first quarter of 2026, the projections for this year and the trajectory they show are unstable," the release reads.
The commission and the Boone County auditor anticipate budget cuts in fiscal year 2027 as out-of-county housing expenditures rise, according to the release.
The Boone County Commission's Thursday meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. at the Roger B. Wilson Boone County Government Center, 801 E. Walnut St.
