Maryville City Council discusses additional taxes

Discussion was held during the Maryville City Council meeting January 9 about posing a question on the April ballot to renew the half-cent sales tax that currently funds capital improvements. The current tax’s sunset is in April 2018.

City Manager Greg McDanel suggested the council compose the tax question with no sunset, meaning the tax would never expire. He brought to the council’s attention that county voters had passed the county gravel tax with no sunset limit. McDanel stated if there is no end to the tax, it would allow the city to enter into longer debt payments allowing the city to begin larger, long-range projects.

“I’m not sure a 10-year track record gives you the authority for eternity. Anything you finance will not be financed forever; it will be financed for a term,” Councilman Jerry Riggs said. “It never hurts to go back to the voters. What happens if we do this long term financing and something should happen to our current economic issues?”

Councilwoman Renee Riedel pointed out that if the city had debt to pay, the council would not be able to do away with the tax if the economy changed.

The council discussed asking for a 10-year or 20-year sunset. McDanel will bring various ballot wordings to the council at their next meeting January 23.

The council approved the reappointment of Diane Sudhoff and Stuart Robinson to the Maryville Public Arts Committee and appointed Mark Hendrix to fill the vacancy left by Kirk Poppa’s resignation.

Ed Ensminger, Larry Apple and Matt Baker were reappointed to the Northwest Missouri Regional Airport Advisory Committee.

The Maryville Public Library Director Stephanie Patterson informed the council that the library board plans to ask for a 12¢ per $100 assessed property tax increase in the April election. If approved, the tax would increase Maryville citizens tax bills by 1.5 percent and would generate $150,000 for the library annually.

Patterson stated the library barely has enough funds to cover basic facility maintenance, upkeep and operation costs. The last time the library tax was increased was in 1962.

The council approved entering into debt in the amount of $7.75 million. Of that amount, $4.17 million will fund construction of the conference center, $3.02 million will pay for the water meter replacement project and $560,000 will go toward other capital items. Over the life of the debt, $2,275,555 will be paid in interest and $7,750,000 in principal.

It was approved to purchase a 1995 Chevy truck with a flatbed for $8,000 from Brett Halsey, St. Joseph, for the central garage department. The truck has an odometer of 85,000 miles and is in good condition. Council also approved purchasing a $7,047 new utility box for the truck from Knapheide Truck Equipment, Kansas City, bringing the total to $15,047 which is $47 over budget.

A $5,035 Boss Super Duty snowplow was purchased from American Equipment Company, Kansas City, KS. It will be installed on a 2012 Chevy fleet truck.

It was approved to have ZENON Environmental Corporation through GE Water and Process Technologies, Ontario, Canada, perform a water treatment plant audit for $5,800, which is under the $12,000 budgeted amount. Staff informed the council they believe the audit could extend the life of the plant’s membranes by two or three years. Normally, membranes last five to seven years with the city’s current membranes being five years old.

An ordinance was implemented for the continuation of the half-cent sales tax for the Mozingo Recreation Fund that was approved by voters in the April 2016 election. The tax will generate approximately $950,000 annually of the $1.9 million operating fund. The tax will sunset, or expire, in December of 2037.

An ordinance was approved to adopt the transient guest tax that was approved by voters in the November 2016 election. The five percent tax will be implemented beginning April 1, 2017, for all hotel and lodging entities. Staff is working to inform those businesses.

The board approved the Extreme Cowboy Race Association events at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park for the upcoming year. Staff stated 60-70 riders participated in 2016. The dates for 2017 are April 1-2, May 20-21 and October 7-8.

Council went into closed session for litigation purposes.

McDanel stated the following in his report:

•A ribbon cutting for the Northwest Missouri Regional Airport will be at 11:30 am, Friday, January 27 at the terminal building.

•Hawk Road Flyers will host a chili supper at the Northwest Regional Airport from 11 am to 2 pm, Saturday, January 21.