A petition before the Saline County Circuit Court seeks to establish a transportation development district for the future Love’s Travel Stop at the Marshall Junction.
The petition filed last week by the Oklahoma City-based business seeks to establish the district to encompass the two parcels the company purchased late last month at the southeast corner of the junction. According to their petition, Love’s says no registered voters reside in the proposed district, which would allow them as the property owners to establish the district, determine the board’s composition, and levy a sales tax on non-fuel purchases of up to one percent to fund transportation improvements within the district. A cost projection included with the petition anticipates improvements costing $3,059,694, with an estimated tax collection of $40,000 per year for the district. The district would exist for up to 20 years, or until bonds issued to pay for the improvements are paid off, after which time the improvements are transferred to the county.
Court records indicate that Love’s previously filed to establish transportation development districts around two truck stops built in the St Louis area and another location in Harrisonville. Each district requires a petition to the circuit court for formation, with the local jurisdiction and the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission named as respondents. Any transportation improvements sought by a district must receive approval of their improvements from the Missouri Department of Transportation. Additionally, the district must prepare an annual audit, and have their books inspected by the state auditor’s office every three years, with the district responsible for the cost.
The petition was an item of discussion at the Wednesday, Nov. 19 meeting of the Saline County Commission, where commissioners agreed to have attorney Ivan Schraeder represent the county during the process. Also Wednesday morning, the commission approved maintaining the county’s contribution to the County Employee Retirement Fund (CERF) at four percent of compensation, and approved the hiring of five seasonal employees in the collector’s office.