No word from the Tourism Tax Enhancement district. From my estimation no reporters showed to this event again. They always meet with the minimum of notice which makes me suspicious. It's unfortunate that no one is covering what may be the most important tax entity in our region. But the Branson/Taney county health department meeting got great coverage.
No new information came out of the meeting. Branson Alderman Bob McDowell voiced his intent to collaborate with other county leaders who may be concerned about the results. The reality is the Taney County Health Department is there own taxing entity but Branson businesses front higher costs - probably unnecessarily. Currently, an additional $700,000 in funding comes from Branson (whose citizens get taxed as part of the Taney County Health Department district as well. This is where the negotiations come in. Should the current tax levy cover all the expense? Isn't Branson's citizenry already fronting the majority of funds?
At this point in the city of Branson's 95th session peace making initiatives have gone well, though, tough questions have yet to be confronted - on the geopolitical front. The aldermen's job is to represent constituents whose interest may differ from county leaders. How is this going to play out?
