From Staff Reports
The Puxico board of aldermen put pencil to paper May 30 to begin work on the 2019 budget.
Mayor Rick McLean aldermenGary Burns, Peter Coutavas, Charles Fann and GS Kilbreth,and Wayne Jean, the city's accountant, began reviewing the income received in FY2018 and determined an estimate of what it could expect to receive in FY2019.
The revenues expected to remain the same as FY2018: Personal Property Tax, $21,500; Gas Franchise Tax, $7,000; City License, $1,100; Missouri Gas Tax, $23,500; Vehicle Fee Increases, $3,800; Tax Penalties, $1,100; Cemetery Plots, $2,000; Fire Sales Tax, $32,000; and Rural Fire Fees, $16,500.
Based on revenue received in FY 2018 in the following areas, the FY 2019 estimated income was increased: Real Estate Tax - from $58,000 to $61,000; Electric Franchise Tax - from $41,000 to $42,000; Vehicle Sales Tax - from $7,000 to $7,500; Local Sales Tax - from $128,900 to $130,000; Telephone Franchise Tax - from $13,s500 to $14,500; and Merchants/Manufacturing Tax - from $2,000 to $2,150.
Once the income figures estimates had been set, the board began its review of each department's budget requests.
David Hawthorne, maintenance supervisor, discusses water, sewer, streets, parks and cemetery budgets; JoLeah Tettleton, librarian, discussed library department budget; and Fire Chief Stacy Starnes discussed the fire department budget.
The board reviewed each department's requests with the following occurring:
All departments planned a 3 percent salary increase into their budgets and all budgets were approved with those salary expenses included.
The administrative department's overall income request were not lessened. Income from local sales tax and gas franchise tax was decreased while income from telephone franchise tax and real estate tax was increased. No changes needed to be made in expenses.
The street department's planned budget sales tax revenue request was cut $200, but since vehicle sales tax increased by $200, the total requested income remained the same. The FY2019 street budget will allow approximately $18,000 to be spent on paving and street repair.
The income for the parks and cemetery departments is from property taxes which saw a slight increase. This increase covered the cost of salary increases, with all other planned expenses remaining close to last year's estimates.
Operating water and sewer departments presented a balanced budget. The sewer fund is transferring the additional monies received from increases in sewer rates to the Depreciation and Replacement fund so it can be used for the sewer improvement project planned in 2018.
The fire department's planned income from the fire department local sales tax and from rural fire fees is $48,500. After major planned expenses in materials/supplies $10,000, repair/maintenance $10,000 , gas/oil $2,000, insurance $6,100, training $2,000, and salaries $5,000, the fire department was able to set aside a little over $11,000 toward building a new fire station with a possible Rural Development loan. A small amount of requested local general sales tax monies ($700) was deleted from the fire department's budget.
The historical department is the only department with planned deficit spending in the amount of $8,750. The excess expenditure will come from a restricted balance the museum has from previous years. At the end of FY2018, the historical museum fund will have a carryover balance of approximately $45,800. A major portion of this balance, $30,000, was brought in through donations and cannot be moved to any other fund. This balance will be used to cover approximately $8,750 of the budgeted expenditures not covered by FY2018 revenue.
The library department's income requests showed slight increases in gas and electric franchise taxes and real estate taxes. These income increases covered the salary increase and other utility and maintenance expense increases, but the purchase of new books is still limited under materials and supplies which showed only a slight increase in budgeted expenses.
The police department's budget received a $1,000 increase in local sales tax monies over last year's budget. There was also a $100 increase in electric franchise tax funds. Grant income for salaries was also budgeted in the amount of $4,500. Under expenses, salaries were increased to include the 3 percent pay increase for the police officer and reserve officers. In order to keep funds in training/travel, materials/supplies and repair/maintenances expenses were cut.
A health fund budget was approved and included an animal control officer: salary, vehicle insurance for the officer's truck, a limited amount of gas for the vehicle, repair/maintenance of dog pound and materials/supplies for dog pound. Funds for weed control and mosquito control were also included under materials/supplies.
The nutrition center budget included enough planned revenue to cover the cost of insuring the nutrition center building and the yearly payment on the 2013 transit van, as well as minor repairs and maintenance.
Funds were budgeted in the building fund in order to paint walls and replace lighting in City Hall offices and community room.
Officials decided to send McLean and Larry Doublin to the Missouri Department of Agriculture's training in Sikeston since the city doesn't have an animal control officer. The department oversees dog pounds and the workshop included record keeping, maintenance of facility and care of animals in the facility. The group stated to would send two people to this workshop. The board decided since Doublin has volunteered to work with the dog pound until someone was hired, it would ask him to attend.
McLean, Burns, Coutavas, Fann and Kilbreth attending the regular aldermen meeting May 17. Burns led the group in prayer and McLean led the Pledge of Allegiance.
The city clerk asked the board if anyone could attend a Department of Natural Resources meeting concerning water and wastewater funding at Poplar Bluff. Kilbreth and McLean stated they could attend.
The city clerk asked the board to consider a bill from HoffComp in the amount of $2,472 for the fire department's requested vehicle rollover jacks. After discussion, it was decided if the fire department did not have any more major expenditures this budget year, it could make this purchase and still stay within its budget. The purchase of the rollover jacks be approved.
Hawthorne asked the aldermen to consider either seal coating or paving the area along Main street before the striping was done. Hawthorne feels seal coating would take care of the problem in that area. Discussion of this repair work was placed under new business on the agenda.
The clerk announced the board had decided in closed session not to hire a maintenance worker and even though the animal control officer had resigned, he did not need to be replaced until the repair work on the dog pound had been completed. They approved Jayne Allison as custodian for city hall and the library.
Marshal Rick Sheren reported his office had worked several cases and assisted the county and state on seven occasions. The reserve officers will be working another grant at the end of May through June 3.
Starnes reported the fire department had responded to several calls in the past month. The department had been performing hydrant tests and found a couple of nonworking hydrants. Starnes stated some members of the fire department working on finding grants to cover fire department needs. He said the fire department needed to have Battles Communications install lights and batteries on the mini-pumper that has been repaired after being wrecked last year.
McLean reappointed Harlan Lamb, Wendy (Hamann) Schaiffer, and Matt Mitchell to three-year terms on the library board.
McLean reappointed Nettie Ward and Pam Parsley to the Historical Museum Board.
The mayor reported David Duncan still needed to look at the repair work to be done on the flooring under the kitchen area of the Nutrition Center.
Under unfinished business, the sidewalk repair/replacement work on the south side of the 100 block of West Richardson was discussed. The Puxico Improvement Corporation (PIC) is discussing obtaining funds from the Industrial Development Authority of Stoddard County (IDASC) for the project. Since it is a project that needs to be done in a timely manner, aldermen designates the sidewalk on the south side of the 100 block of West Richardson as blighted. Designating the area of the sidewalk as blighted will enable the city to begin the process of asking the Missouri Department of Economic Development to approve the use of Industrial Development funds for the sidewalk repair/replacement if necessary.
The funding of the asphalt/culvert work is planned for the 200 block of East Harbin by the post office was discussed. The board decided to wait until IDASC made a decision on the matter.
The city is obtaining cattle panels from Bill Hemby to be used for dog pound repair.
The city tore the building down on at 251 E. Richardson Avenue in 2011 and placed a special tax bill against it to pay for the asbestos removal and demolition in the amount of $9,850. This property has been on the Stoddard County land sale list since that time and has not been purchased. After discussion, the group agreed city abate $5,000 of the $9,850, making the total now owed on the special tax bill $4,850. The repair work to the parking area on the main business street was discussed. Again, it was suggested that the City's Industrial Development funds might be used. It was decided to wait to see what the IDASC did with the funding requests for other streets/sidewalk repair work.
The possibility of writing an ordinance concerning the use of utility vehicles and golf carts on city streets was discussed. Alderman Fann will work on an ordinance.