Crawford County voters will decide on April 7 whether to approve imposing a countywide use tax.

It is a tax placed on all out-of-state online purchases made within the county, applying the county’s sales tax rate.

If the use tax is voted in, the revenue will go toward three different areas within the county: 60 percent split between the road districts for road repairs, 20 percent toward employee benefits and 20 percent to provide upkeep on county buildings.

Currently, the county’s sales tax is applied only to brick-and-mortar businesses.

The use tax would only apply to internet purchases, and does not apply to sales within Missouri; small sellers like Etsy; and medicine, insulin or oxygen. Residents will not pay both sales tax and the use tax on the same purchases, and the use tax rate will be the same rate as the local sales tax.

To pass, the use tax would only need to receive a majority vote.