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Today's Feature Budget Hearings End.
$7.7 Million Proposal Goes to
Full Council.
The Budget/Ways and Means
Committee completed its scheduled budget hearing
meetings Wednesday evening in City Hall. The
Committee will forward their $7,750,098
FY1999/2000 expenditure recommendations to the
full Council for final review. The first reading
of the document is scheduled for the June 8
regular meeting.
Total projected revenue for the
year is $6,248,092. This amount covers the
projected City operating expenses of $6,076,798
but proposed capital improvements of $1.6 million
will require pulling from general fund reserves.
These numbers include the set aside of $464,000
for a proposed airport, a $100,000 set aside
toward the rebuilding of Civil War Road, and a
$100,000 set aside toward the proposed
interchange at Fairview and Highway 71. The
projected revenue includes a proposed return to
95 cent property tax, up from the current
voluntary reduction to 85 cents.
According to documents provided
to the Committee by City Administrator Tom Short,
it is estimated that the City will end the
1999/2000 year with approximately $2.2 million in
reserves. The tax rate would not approved by the
Council until later in the fall of this year.
Proposed appropriations for
various departments and outside agencies are as
follows:
General Admin. $ 335,418
City Attorney 29,602
Economic Develop 141,991
Civil War Museum 119,644
Police 1,706,755
City Taxi 78,829
Street Department 962,807
Engineering Dept. 265,890
Fire Dept. 1,113,041
Civil Defense 3,250
Parks Dept. 230,279
Golf Course 304,216
Golf Pro Shop 142,228
Fair Acres 65,308
Pool 54,412
Street/Engineering
Projects 130,000
5,721,758
Other 355,040
Sub total 6,076,798
Capital Projects 1,601,800
Agency Requests 71,500
Total $7,750,098
According to Short, the
proposed budget includes a 1.6% cost of living
adjustment (COLA) for all City employees.
Revenues, after adjusting for the inclusion of
the Parks Department being classified as a City
Department, are projected to increase about 1%
for the year.
Also included in the proposed
budget is $50,000 to be used as an incentive for
property owners to repair existing sidewalks
adjacent to private property. The details of the
incentive are yet to be completed, but a proposed
Council bill is being considered by the Public
Works Committee at this time.
The one time purchase of
approximately $82,000 in computers and software
for the Police Department and $177,100 for the
completion of the Fire Department sub station in
the base of the new south water tower is also
recommended. Funding for a new roof for the east
side of the Fire Station on Chestnut amounting to
$18,000 is included.
Improvements to the Myers Park
Property were not funded at this time. Any new
street or traffic signals for the Development
would be funded by the sale of Myers Park
Property. If the pending sale of property is
completed, the budget would be adjusted at that
time. It is expected that part of the conditions
of sale would include a shared responsibility for
street construction with the property owner.
Main Street Mercantile:
Tonight Traditional Irish, Dulcimer, Violin and
Guitar Folk Music.
by Robin Putnam, artCentral
Now.....now...a little rain
just makes the flowers grow...unless it washes
them away!!! Let's count our blessings, for
sure!!
This coming Sunday is, of
course, Mother's Day. Yipee!! Here's to all the
Mothers!! If you're looking for something
interesting to do with MOM....may we suggest a
hearty repast followed by a trip to artCentral.
Open noon until four. Our exhibiting artist, Jane
Kleindl, has paintings that will make any Mother
smile and inspire all kinds of memories.
As a matter of
fact............her painting titled 'Small
Wonder' brings me the funniest memories of my
oldest son when he was four.
The only superhero on TV then
was Wonder Woman..she would spin in a circle and
turn from ordinary to super..if she put her magic
lasso around you you had to tell the
truth..imagine....four years old, male...spinning
around anytime something didn't go his
way..always carrying that piece of rope..like I
said...funny....but wonderful!! Such great
Mother's Day memories!!
By the way...we all want to say
good-bye and good luck to our buddy John Beasley.
It's a yipee kind of thing..he's gotten a
full-time artist job in Noble, OK to do sculpting
for United Design producing everything from lawn
ornaments to Christmas tree ornaments, picture
frames and collectable figurine series'. We will
miss him!!
Hey..........Main Street
Mercantile, Mike Tichenor owner and one of our
super members, will be having MUSIC! Friday Night
Jams! Next one is tonight..May 7th. Also on the
agenda...Bratwurst and Sloppy Joes!! Back to the
music (I insist food is art, too!!)....Jack and
Lee Ann Sours, Dudenville, MO., accompanied by
their guitar, penny whistle and violin, Steve and
Linda Widders from Springfield...they play
traditional Irish tunes. There are three more
groups one of which is Mockingbird's Laughter who
bring you tons of music filled with tons of folk
instruments as well as a local Blue Grass band.
Fun starts around 7:30...it's on the Carthage
Square..come hungry for good food, good music and
good friends!!
For more information call Mike
at 358-1800.
Rumor has it...a bunch of
artists will be hanging out there until it's time
to head over to Joplin to retrieve their artwork
from the St. Avips art auction!! Be there or....!
Carthage will be the next art
mecca!! YES!!
More.......................next
week.
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Sponsored by
Oak Street health & herb
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Weekly Column
Natural Nutrition.
by Mari An WillisBump and
bruise season is here. Sore backs from gardening
to painting or jogging, bike riding, canoeing and
other spring related activities may be alleviated
with the help of arnica gel or cream. Arnica is
described in homeopathic literature as THE
solution to the aforementioned conditions.
Who is more prone to falls than
that toddler or what about the track enthusiasts?
In the MATERIA MEDICA by William Boericke, M. D.
states "it is especially suited to cases
when injury, however remote, seems to have caused
the present trouble." He also suggests it in
"traumatism of grief, remorse or sudden
realization of financial loss" letting us
know that it can be used when the emotions are
involved. Arnica should not be used on open
wounds.
On a different note, I find it
interesting that a certain ad on television has
been stating that it is the ONLY source of
pryruvate or fat grabbers. How do these people
get away with such straight out lies? The herbs
they are promising are good, it is just the fact
that they are not the first nor the only to have
the product. Maybe it is just the exorbortant
prices they ask that makes them unique. Why do we
put so much stock in what a T.V. personality say?
I don't know, but it is obvious that we must as
companies keep paying big bucks to have
"personalities" send us their message.
I tend to believe my Grandparents, parents and
gifted teachers who tell it clearly and honestly.
Enough.............
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