Dixon endorses lodging tax in State of the County address

Greene County Presiding Commissioner Bob Dixon this morning signaled support for the city of Springfield's lodging tax increase proposal that will come before voters next month.

Dixon delivered comments during his 2025 State of the County address held at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce's Good Morning, Springfield! event at University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center.

Springfield City Council voted in July to put a 3% lodging tax increase question on the Nov. 4 ballot. The tax increase would help fund a $175 million downtown convention and event center, a long-held goal of local stakeholders that has $30 million in restricted state funding awaiting approval by the governor. 

"We have an opportunity to recreate ourselves and give local business a real advantage," Dixon said this morning. "Are we finally going to build an event center or not?"

Dixon cited figures indicating that the community is missing $45.6 million annually in economic activity, or $125,000 a day, that the new convention and event center would bring.

"I did the math. That would provide just shy of $1 million a year in additional revenue to the county alone in sales tax, because those folks will be here, not shopping online," he said. "And the best part about it, the tax to build the event center will be paid by folks who don't live here. It's really a no-brainer."

An informational booklet provided at the State of the County event shows recent wins and opportunities, along with the county's focus on servant leadership in recent years. 

Dixon in his address touched on myriad topics, including workforce and housing that he said local officials must continue to address.

"The need for workforce and housing cannot be understated. It has to go somewhere," he said. "We're working to review and update our zoning and our codes ... to reduce the barriers to entry."

Dixon also noted that he and other local officeholders have “increasingly had to engage in seeking relief from federal and state partners, who more and more wish to push responsibility down to local government, all while reducing resources and centralizing control.”

Dixon added, “Our message is really clear: Just leave us alone and let us do what we do well.”

He said local control works best because “government closest to the people knows the people best and can best serve them with limited resources.”

A full transcript of Dixon's State of the State address is available here. 

Deputy Editor Gregory Holman contributed to this article.