Listening Tour & Action Plans

Working toward a Vision….

With the leadership of the City Council, the City of Joplin is working towards a community vision that has been inspired by listening to our citizens. The Listening Tour gave citizens the opportunity to share their thoughts on the City’s strengths, areas that need attention, and ways they’d like to see Joplin grow. Many agreed our biggest asset is the people. Known for their grit and determination from the early mining days to today’s cyber society, Joplin citizens recognize the importance of working hard and joining their neighbors to enhance their community.

Image of 4 hands together with the text Prop Action Thank You Voters! with a checkmark
Circle with a tree and raindrop icon that says Prop Renewal Thank You Voters with a small checkmark

Our History...Black and white historic photo of Downtown Joplin

Founded in 1873, Joplin settlers developed this city by working together in the mining industry, establishing needed businesses, while some even donated beautiful green spaces for the whole community to enjoy as parkland. 

But after nearly 150 years, our age is showing. For Joplin’s next 150 years to be as good as its last, reinvestment and revitalization are needed to enhance the quality of place within our community. This means creating and revitalizing our residential and commercial places into more desirable and high-quality destinations. The next 150 years will require more aggressive economic development so citizens have economic mobility through the addition of more job opportunities.

What the Community Wants...

Citizens responding to the Listening Tour added comments about the need for community improvements and beautification. Residents encouraged the City to tackle blight in neighborhoods while reducing vacant buildings. They want public safety issues addressed and more economic development efforts to increase job growth. These are just a few of the areas that our citizens raised in the Listening Tour. 

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Our Goals, Vision, and Plan...

Image of Black eyed Susans with Mercy Park in the background

These citizens’ comments were invaluable as Council members established the City’s Vision and Goals in late 2020. In reviewing the citizens’ interests, Council set the objectives to make Joplin more attractive that focused on their concerns.  

Fulfilling these goals will require hard work and collaboration throughout the City organization along with our community. In establishing Action Plans that align with Council’s goals and focus on the ideas identified by our citizens, it was recognized that additional resources are needed for some programs within the plans. Action plans are the efforts and strategies the City will implement to help accomplish the Council’s goals.


Proposition Action - Addressing issues our citizens requested (Use Tax)

On November 2, 2021, Joplin voters approved a Use Tax for the City of Joplin. This is not a double tax. If a sales tax is paid, a use tax is not. A use tax applies to purchases made outside of the State of Missouri, such as online, catalog, and direct marketing items, and brought here for use. The Use Tax will be collected at the same rate as Joplin’s current Sales Tax (3.125 percent). Use Tax revenues are distributed among City accounts in the same manner as sales tax revenues.

Proposition Renewal (Parks and Stormwater ¼-Cent Sales Tax Renewal)

On August 3, 2021 voters approved the renewal of the Parks and Stormwater Sales Tax. Citizens originally passed this ten-year, ¼-cent sales tax in 2001 and supported its renewal in 2011. Voters approved a renewal of this sales tax to provide funding to continue addressing water retention and flooding issues with stormwater improvements in the next ten years. These funds will also be used for Parks projects, including developing park destinations along with maintenance of the existing Parks infrastructure. The sales tax will have a sunset date of March 31, 2032.