CCS/HCS/SB 30 – This act enacts provisions relating to political subdivisions. COUNTY BUDGETS (Section 50.622) Under current law, a provision allowing counties to decrease their annual budgets expired on July 1, 2016. This act extends the expiration date to July 1, 2027. This provision is identical to SB 95 (2017), SCS/HB 200 (2017), identical to a provision of SCS/HB 843 (2017), a provision of HCS/SCS/SB 112 (2017), and a provision of HCS/SB 114 (2017), and similar to SB 676 (2016), and SCS/SB 326 (2015). COUNTY TREASURER ELIGIBILITY (Section 54.040) This act repeals a provision stating that no sheriff, marshal, clerk or collector, or the deputy of any such officer, shall be eligible to the office of treasurer of any county. This provision is identical to a provision in CCS#2/HCS/SCS/SB 112 (2017), and SCS/HCS/HB 199 (2017). COUNTY RECORDING FEES (Section 59.800) Under current law, a certain fee relating to the recording of deeds is five dollars. This act changes the fee to six dollars and allocates the additional dollar raised to the Statutory County Recorder's Fund. The act also creates a new process to occur when the annual average collected into the Statutory County Recorder's Fund is insufficient to meet its obligations. In that case, the fund is to be supplemented by another source or a new maximum county allocation is to be set, depending on whether the shortfall meets a certain threshold. These provisions are identical to HCS/HB 957 (2017), and similar to SB 453 (2017). NUISANCE ABATEMENT ORDINANCES (Section 67.402) This act authorizes St. Francois and Taney counties to enact nuisance abatement ordinances. This provision is identical to HB 281 (2017), and to a provision in CCS/HCS/SB 283 (2017). ZOOLOGICAL SALES TAX (Sections 67.505, and 67.547) This act provides that a local sales tax approved after August 28, 2017, by voters in St. Louis City or St. Louis County for the purpose of funding zoological activities and zoological facilities shall not exceed one-eighth of one percent. No county other than St. Louis County and St. Louis City shall use such county sales tax revenue for the purpose of funding in whole or in part the construction, operation, or maintenance of any zoological activities, zoological facilities, zoological organizations, the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District, or any zoological board. This act also provides that revenue collected under a zoological sales tax shall not be divided and distributed among St. Louis County and the cities, towns, villages, and the unincorporated area of St. Louis County as otherwise provided by law. This act also provides that residents of any county that does not adopt a zoological sales tax may be charged an admission fee for zoological facilities, programs, or events that are not part of the main campus of the St. Louis Zoo. Admission to the main campus shall remain free. This act also provides that no revenue collected under a zoological sales tax shall supplant any funding received from the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District, and shall not be used for the benefit of Grant's Farm. This act also prohibits all counties from using certain county sales tax revenue for the purpose of funding in whole or in part the construction, operation, or maintenance of any zoological activities, zoological facilities, zoological organizations, the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District, or any zoological board. These provisions are identical to provisions contained in SS/SCS/SB 49 (2017), CCS/HCS/SB 283 (2017), and SCS/HCS/HB 935 (2017). COUNTY SALES TAXES (Section 67.547) This act also provides that a county shall not submit to the voters a proposed sales tax under the County Sales Tax for a period of two years following the date of a election in which it previously submitted a proposed sales tax, regardless of whether the initial proposed sales tax was approved or disapproved by the voters. This act also provides that no county shall submit a proposal to the voters which would result in a combined sales tax rate adopted under the County Sales Tax Act in excess of 1%. For any sales tax adopted under the County Sales Tax Act in St. Louis County, three-eighths of such rate shall be included in the calculation of the County's 1% cap. This provision is identical to a provision contained in SS/SCS/SB 49 (2017) and is similar to a provision contained in HCS/SS/SB 124 (2017), CCS/HCS/SB 283 (2017), and SCS/HCS/HB 935 (2017). CITY SALES TAX ACT (Section 94.510) This act also provides that no city shall submit a proposal to the voters which would result in a combined sales tax rate adopted under the City Sales Tax Act in excess of 2%. This provision is identical to a provision contained in SS/SCS/SB 49 (2017), CCS/HCS/SB 283 (2017), and SCS/HCS/HB 935 (2017), and is substantially similar to a provision contained in HB 1442 (2010). SENIOR CITIZENS' SERVICES FUND (Sections 67.990, and 67.993) This act modifies the Senior Citizens' Services Fund by requiring St. Louis City to expend such fund deposits only in accordance with the budget approved by the Fund's board of directors. The act allows the board to administer grants and enter into agreements on behalf of the fund, as long as its actions are in the fund's best interests. These provisions are similar to provisions in HCS/SB 373 (2017), and HCS/SCS/SB 405 (2017). ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING ZONES (Section 68.075) This act modifies the Advanced Industrial Manufacturing Zones Act by changing the definition of "new job" to a job for which an employee is paid at or above the county average wage rather than the state average wage, if the county average wage is lower than the state average wage. This act also allows a port authority to establish an AIM zone in an area within the port authority's ownership or control, and allows a port authority to expand or contract the area of an AIM zone by resolution. This provision is identical to SB 302 (2017), HB 811 (2017), and to provisions in SB 399 (2017), CCS/HCS/SCS/SB 112 (2017), and CCS/HCS/SB 283 (2017). SALE OF WATER OR WASTEWATER SYSTEMS (Section 88.770) Currently, sale of water or wastewater systems by boards of aldermen in fourth class cities are authorized by passing an ordinance that must be ratified by a 2/3 vote of the voters voting on the question. This act changes the threshold to a simple majority of voters voting on the question. This provision is identical to a provision in CCS/HCS/SCS/SB 11 (2017), and HCS/HB 247 (2017). KANSAS CITY SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS (Section 162.492) This act modifies the initial terms of directors elected to the Kansas City Public Schools school board in 2019, such that the terms of office of directors are staggered. One at-large director and the directors of subdistricts one, three, and five shall be elected to an initial two-year term. The other at-large director and the directors of subdistricts two and four shall be elected to a four-year term. In subsequent elections, all directors shall be elected to four-year terms. This provision is identical to SCS/SB 93 (2017), and provisions in CCS/HCS/SB 283 (2017), HCS/SCS/SB 300 (2017), SCS/HCS/HB 353 (2017), HCS/SB 434 (2017), HCS/SB 478 (2017), and SCS/HB 587 (2017). This act is similar to provisions in HB 1131 (2017). CONSOLIDATION OF ROAD DISTRICTS (Section 233.295) This act allows a county commission or similar authority to combine two or more road districts upon request by a petition signed by a majority of the commissioners in each of the road districts seeking to be combined. The county commission shall hold a public hearing after publishing notice for a period of four weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. The county may issue an order to consolidate the districts if it finds, after the public hearing, that the consolidation is in the public good. The act further designates the procedure for appointing commissioners to the new consolidated district and transferring of assets, liabilities, and tax levies. The provisions for consolidation do not apply to road districts located in two counties. This act contains provisions identical to CCS#2/HCS/SCS/SB 112 (2017), SB 867 (2016), and similar to SCS/HCS/HB 647 (2017). ERIC VANDER WEERD