FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2025
City of Willard Receives Certified Election Results: Voters Approve Public Safety Sales Tax
Willard, Missouri — The City of Willard has received certified election results from the Greene County Clerk's Office, officially concluding the April 2025 municipal election.
Incumbent candidates for Mayor and the Board of Aldermen all ran unopposed and were re-elected:
Mayor (Troy Smith): 484 votes
Ward 1 Alderman (Jeremy Hill): 152 votes
Ward 2 Alderman (David Keene): 187 votes
In Ward 3, where no candidate was listed on the ballot, Rachel Mathison received the highest number of write-in votes, securing 20 out of the 39 total write-in submissions. City officials will contact Ms. Mathison to confirm her willingness and eligibility to serve.
Additionally, Willard voters approved the General Sales Tax for Public Safety, with 397 votes in favor and 209 votes against. This measure authorizes a 0.5% sales tax dedicated to public safety purposes.
“We are deeply grateful to the residents of Willard for their trust,” said City Administrator Wes Young. “We view this not just as a new revenue stream, but as a mandate for action, and results. We have heard the concerns from the public too and will be seeking to implement this transparently to build trust with those individuals.”
Per Missouri Department of Revenue guidelines, the approved sales tax will likely take effect beginning October 2025. This provides the City with time to finalize a clear, publicly accessible plan for how these funds will be used.
As previewed during Monday’s State of the City presentation, the City is launching a three-part Public Safety Investment & Accountability Plan:
Enhancing Officer Pay – To remain competitive and retain experienced public safety professionals.
Modernizing Equipment – Investing in tools and technology that enhance law enforcement capabilities.
Improving Public Safety Infrastructure – Supporting response capabilities, presence and community confidence.
To ensure accountability, the City will:
Develop a public-facing dashboard to provide transparency through tracking of new revenue and related spending and providing impact metrics.
Highlight success stories that demonstrate the value of new investments that directly result from this dedicated sales tax revenue.
Provide ongoing updates to ensure residents—whether supportive or concerned—can monitor progress and outcomes.
“This initiative is about more than revenue,” said Young. “It’s about restoring public trust by connecting taxpayer dollars to real-world improvements in safety. We’ve heard the community’s desire for transparency and will meet that expectation head-on.”
A copy of the official election results can be viewed by visiting this link: https://5il.co/3dm37
For more information, please contact:
Wes Young
City Administrator
ca@cityofwillard.org | (417) 742-3033