Jackson County voters will decide in November whether to approve a five-year property tax levy to expand mosquito and tick control programs.
The Jackson County Vector Control District is asking voters to approve an additional 5 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. The district currently collects 4 cents per $1,000. If approved, the total levy would increase to 9 cents per $1,000.
For a property assessed at $300,000, the annual cost would increase from $12 to $27.
According to the district, the additional funding would expand surveillance, testing, prevention and public education efforts aimed at reducing diseases spread by mosquitoes and ticks.
"Vector control is one of those services that often happens behind the scenes, but it plays an important role in protecting public health and quality of life for all of us," Jackson County Vector Control District Board President Craig Hilty said in a news release. "This levy would help ensure the District can continue responding to emerging threats while maintaining the services residents rely on every day."
The district stepped up monitoring and response efforts after an invasive mosquito species was detected in Jackson County in 2023. Those efforts include additional trapping and public education.
The district also works to control flies and rodents.
If voters approve the levy, the district said it would use the funding to hire additional staff, expand monitoring and increase public outreach.
