Maryville Council begins budget talks

Maryville City Manager Greg McDanel presented some of the FY 23 budget details at the August 22 council meeting.

He started with the Transient Guest Tax Fund. The five percent transient guest tax put on all sleeping rooms was established on November 8, 2016. There is a statutory requirement to spend funds on tourism efforts. The expenses for the FY 23 Transient Guest Tax fund are $492,965 and revenues are at $255,277. The fund balance is estimated to be $425,000 at the end of 2022, and at $187,312 at the end of 2023.

Revenue 

•Transient guest tax, $175,000.

• State grants, $5,000.

• Reimbursement on joint projects, $25,377.

• Miscellaneous revenue, $49,500.

Expenses 

• Personnel services, $101,509.

• Debt service, Hughes Fieldhouse lease, $150,000.

• Other improvements, wayfinding signage, $150,000.

The tourism committee recommended approval at a August 16 meeting.

McDanel and Assistant City Manager Ryan Heiland went over the Mozingo draft budget, which was approved by the Mozingo Advisory Board at their August 15 meeting.

Beemer’s Muffler Center request for a Car and Truck show was approved. It will be from 8 am to 5 pm, Saturday, August 27 at 1305 East First Street. The 100 Block of South Alvin Street also will be closed for the event. Profit proceeds from the event will be donated to the North Star Advocacy Center. A neighborhood block party was also approved at South Saunders Street from 8 am to 4 pm, Saturday, September 10. South Saunders at East South Avenue to the top of the hill will be closed. Joey Wagner at 991 South Saunders Street was in attendance to discuss the party.

The council approved support for Snider Development for the building of affordable rental housing to be know as South View Apartments, Phase three. Phase one and two have already been completed, with phase three being planned to be built right across from one and two. Pete Ramsel with Snider was in attendance to answer any questions. He talked about the difficulty in getting parts and employees, and has “enjoyed working with the city.” There will be two 16-plex units with a mix of two and three bedrooms. The units would target 60 to 80 percent of the area median income, and rent will be between $500 – 700 a month.

A contract with E.L Crawford Construction, St. Joseph,  for deck repairs to the event center at Mozingo was approved. E.L. Crawford were hired to construct the event center in 2016, and it was completed in 2018. The building experienced settling, resulting in minor cracking and water intrusion. The repairs will include a full flake epoxy system, joint filling, deck flashing, modification of doors and caulking. The full quote is at $25,966, with a total of seven construction days.

An ordinance providing for levy and collection of real and personal property was approved. The approved debt retirement levy went down to 9.56¢ versus 9.65¢ in 2021.

McDanel presented his report to the council. The South Avenue construction continues and is seen by McDanel as going well. McDanel wanted to make clear that the South Main Corridor Improvement Project is not a beautification project, but a functional engineering project with beautification elements.