Mo. Rev. Stat. » Chapter 70
Missouri Revised Statutes

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 70.220 (2026)

Political subdivisions may cooperate with each other, with other states, the United States or private persons

✓ current as of May 2026
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  70.220.  Political subdivisions may cooperate with each other, with other states, the United States or private persons — tax distribution agreement, authorized for certain counties and cities (Buchanan County and city of St. Joseph; Greene County and city of Springfield). — 1.  Any municipality or political subdivision of this state, as herein defined, may contract and cooperate with any other municipality or political subdivision, or with an elective or appointive official thereof, or with a duly authorized agency of the United States, or of this state, or with other states or their municipalities or political subdivisions, or with any private person, firm, association or corporation, for the planning, development, construction, acquisition or operation of any public improvement or facility, or for a common service; provided, that the subject and purposes of any such contract or cooperative action made and entered into by such municipality or political subdivision shall be within the scope of the powers of such municipality or political subdivision.

  2.  Any municipality or political subdivision of this state may contract with one or more adjacent municipalities or political subdivisions to share the tax revenues of such cooperating entities that are generated from real property and the improvements constructed thereon, if such real property is located within the boundaries of either or both municipalities or subdivisions and within three thousand feet of a common border of the contracting municipalities or political subdivisions.  The purpose of such contract shall be within the scope of powers of each municipality or political subdivision.  Municipalities or political subdivisions separated only by a public street, easement, or right-of-way shall be considered to share a common border for purposes of this subsection.

  3.  Any home rule city with more than seventy-three thousand but fewer than seventy-five thousand inhabitants may contract with any county of the first classification with more than eighty-five thousand nine hundred but fewer than eighty-six thousand inhabitants to share tax revenues for the purpose of promoting tourism and the construction, maintenance, and improvement of convention center and recreational facilities.  In the event an agreement for the distribution of tax revenues is entered into between a county of the first classification with more than eighty-five thousand nine hundred but fewer than eighty-six thousand inhabitants and a home rule city with more than seventy-three thousand but fewer than seventy-five thousand inhabitants, then all revenue received from such taxes shall be distributed in accordance with the terms of said agreement.  For purposes of this subsection, the term "tax revenues" shall include tax revenues generated from the imposition of a transient guest tax imposed under the provisions of section 67.1361.

  4.  If any contract or cooperative action entered into under this section is between a municipality or political subdivision and an elective or appointive official of another municipality or political subdivision, such contract or cooperative action shall be approved by the governing body of the unit of government in which such elective or appointive official resides.

  5.  In the event an agreement for the distribution of tax revenues is entered into between a county of the first classification without a charter form of government and a constitutional charter city with a population of more than one hundred forty thousand that is located in said county prior to a vote to authorize the imposition of such tax, then all revenue received from such tax shall be distributed in accordance with said agreement for so long as the tax remains in effect or until the agreement is modified by mutual agreement of the parties.

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(L. 1947 V. I p. 401 § 7403b, A.L. 1957 p. 248, A.L. 1996 S.B. 945, A.L. 2007 S.B. 22, A.L. 2010 H.B. 1442 merged with S.B. 644)

CROSS REFERENCES:

City-county library, establishment, 182.291, 182.301

Cooperation with other political subdivisions authorized, 246.271

Courthouses and jails, certain cities may cooperate with county, 71.300

Defense area improvements, additional powers conferred on certain municipalities, 91.640

Drainage, districts may contract for outlets, 243.260

Drainage, districts may contract to furnish drainage for cities, 243.270

Electric current, cities may contract to sell or buy, 91.020, 91.030

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 22 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1951–2022 · leading case: Stacy v. Truman Med. Ctr., 836 S.W.2d 911 (Mo. 1992).
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Stacy v. Truman Med. Ctr., 836 S.W.2d 911 (Mo. 1992). · cites it 34× “In May of 1970, KCGHMC entered into a Cooperation Agreement, authorized by section 70.220, RSMo 1959, with the City, the Board of Trustees of the Jackson County Public Hospital, and Jackson County (the County) to construct and operate a new hospital.”
Cape Motor Lodge, Inc. v. City of Cape Girardeau, 706 S.W.2d 208 (Mo. 1986). · cites it 35× “VI, § 16, or section 70.220, RSMo 1978; that ordinances 190 and 101, to the extent they levy taxes for the payment of the bonds issued to finance the City’s cost of the Multi-Use Center, are invalid because the taxes are not in furtherance of either a “public purpose” within the…”
Fischer v. City of Washington, 55 S.W.3d 372 (Mo. Ct. App. 2001). · cites it 22× “In particular, the City argued'that Article VI, Section 16 of the Missouri Constitution and § 70.220 1 allowed the city to enter into cooperative agreements with the County as long as the subject and purpose of the agreement were within the City’s scope of powers.”
Copeland v. City of Union, 534 S.W.3d 298 (Mo. Ct. App. 2017). · cites it 15× “Section 70.220 provides in pertinent part: Any municipality or political subdivision of this state, as herein defined, may contract and cooperate with any other municipality or political subdivision, or with an elective or appointive official thereof, or with a duly authorized…”
Sch. Dist. of Kansas City v. Kansas City, 382 S.W.2d 688 (Mo. 1964). · cites it 27× “The contract was entered into pursuant to § 70.220, RSMo 1959, V.A.M.S., between the School District and the City of Kansas City, Missouri, acting by and through the Park Board.”
St. Louis Cnty. v. Prestige Travel, Inc., 344 S.W.3d 708 (Mo. 2011). · cites it 3× “Louis County and CVC contend § 70.220 is not germane to taxes. Section 70.”
St. Louis Hous. Auth. v. City of St. Louis, 239 S.W.2d 289 (Mo. 1951). · cites it 6× “Section 70.220 thereof provides: “Any mumcipality or political subdivision of this state, as herein defined, may contract and cooperate with any other municipality or political subdivision, or with an elective or appointive official thereof, or with a duly authorized agency of…”
State Ex Rel. State High. Comm'n v. City of St. Louis, 575 S.W.2d 712 (Mo. Ct. App. 1978). · cites it 4× “…high in price or unfairly restrictive as to remedies. See generally White & Summers, supra, at 117-18. [24] § 70.220 RSMo 1969.”
Carson v. Oxenhandler, 334 S.W.2d 394 (Mo. Ct. App. 1960). · cites it 4× “Section 70.220 provides that any political subdivision of the state may contract and cooperate with any other political subdivision “ * * * for the planning, development, construction, acquisition or operation of any public improvement or facility, or for a common service;…”
Schmoll v. Hous. Auth. of St. Louis Cnty., 321 S.W.2d 494 (Mo. 1959). · cites it 3× “” Pursuant to this constitutional authorization the General Assembly has provided, in the statutes governing cooperation agreements between governmental units, that “Any municipality may exercise the power referred to in section 70.220 by ordinance duly enacted, or, if a county,…”
State Ex Rel. Normandy Sch. Dist. of St. Louis Cnty. v. Small, 356 S.W.2d 864 (Mo. 1962). · cites it 4× “Relators' statement of facts, which has the approval of the respondent, recites that: "On the 13th day of May, 1960, by authority of Section 70.220, R.S.Mo., the University of Missouri and the School District entered into a contract for the joint use of this property for the…”
Roberts v. City of Maryville, 750 S.W.2d 69 (Mo. 1988). · cites it 4× “220 provides: Any municipality or political subdivision of this state, as herein defined, may contract and cooperate with any other municipality or political subdivision, or with an elective or appointive official thereof, or with a duly authorized agency of the United States,…”
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