Dr. Dennis Meier with Synergy Services discussed a proposal for a ballot measure in August that would create a Clay County Children’s Fund.
Meier’s proposal included a ¼-cent sales tax that would be used to help homeless and at risk youth. If approved, Clay County would be the 10th such Missouri county with a dedicated children’s fund.
Meier, the associate director of Synergy Services, said the measure was originally on the ballot last August but was removed on a technicality. Meier said that this year they wanted to be certain so they were approaching the Clay County Commission to add the ballot measure.
If approved, the Clay County Children’s fund would feature a nine-member, all-volunteer board who would meet to decide which projects and needs were most in need of funding.
St. Charles County became the first Missouri County to have a dedicated children’s fund in 2004. Since that time, St. Charles County has seen a five percent drop in violent teen deaths, a 40 percent decrease in teenage pregnancy rate, a 44 percent dropout rate reduction, a 54 percent decline in teenage runaway rates and a 57 percent drop in juvenile delinquency referrals. Read the rest of this story in the Friday, April 21 issue of the Standard
-Bryce Mereness