Published: June 21, 2007 08:25 am         

LG clerk position reduced to part-time

After much discussion, the Town of Locust Grove Board of Trustees agreed on several hot topics at Tuesday night’s special meeting. The topics included the department budget for fiscal year 2007-2008, cutting the court clerk position from full-time to part-time, signing jail use agreements with surrounding towns and renewing a one cent sales tax that will expire in November.

The board approved signing jail use agreements with Sportsman Acres, Salina and Chouteau. The agreement allows those towns to hold prisoners in Locust Grove’s jail for $18 per day.

After tabling the change in the court clerk position from full to part-time at the regular monthly meeting, Trustees debated whether to make the change. Court Clerk Rosie Mounce expressed her feeling on moving her position from 40 hours per week to 24.

“I would like to know why I’m the only one being targeted,” Mounce asked the board.

She also told the board she tried completing last month’s court docket in the 24 hour time frame but it actually took her six work days to complete the docket. Locust Grove Police officers write approximately 100-125 new tickets each month.

Mounce makes $12.75 per hour and Police Chief Nathan Raith said by cutting her hours to 24, it will save the town around $15,000 per year.

“We are responsible for the money. The citizens voted us in and that’s who we answer to,” said Trustee Tamatha Ogilvie. “I hate for Rosie to get a cut ... we have to be responsible with the town’s money.”

After much discussion, Trustee Terry Starling made a motion for the change in the position but recommended the board give Mounce time to look for another job if she chooses. The position will not change until Sept. 1. The vote passed with four yes votes and one abstention by Jim Flynn.

The next item on the agenda was the renewal of the one cent sales tax. The tax will expire in November and the Town must bring it before the people by September. Locust Grove would like to break the one cent into thirds. Before, all of that tax went into Streets and Alleys to pave new roads in the town. Now that nearly all of the town’s roads have been paved, Trustees would like to see the money used for other areas and projects.

A motion was made to break up the tax with one-third of the money going to streets and alleys, one-third going to public safety and one-third going to the general fund to be used for parks, the library and other city needs.

The wording for the ballot will be sent to City Attorney John Crockett and must be turned in to the Election Board by July 12 in order for there to be an election in September. The election will cost the town $2,000.

Ogilvie said she thinks the board should be proactive about the election and Mayor Shawn Bates recommended hosting a Town Hall meeting to let people know how the money will be used. The new tax would not increase the town’s sales tax. It would, however, keep the sales tax at the same rate of 9.875.

The board also approved department budgets for fiscal year 2007-2008. The budget includes: Fire Department, $40,000; dog pound, $700; Civil Defense, $1,000; building insurance, $26,000; legal - attorney and audit, $13,000; community building, $7,500; Board of Trustees and City Clerk, $11,000; library operation expenses, $15,000; library salary, $30,500; police department wages and insurance, $243,108 and police department, operations and maintenance, $39,975.

The budget can be up to 90 percent of the town’s income. The towns estimated income is $474,920.

In the Public Works Authority meeting, the board voted to approve the department’s budget of $924,944. $717,378 will be used for operations and $207,576.15 will be used for wages. The PWA’s estimated income is $1,030,238.29.

In other business, Deputy Clerk Jessica Noble reported meter reading for the month of June is right on track. Three water breaks from May 17-19 set meter reading back nearly 14 days. Meters are generally read from the 15th-20th of each month by Public Works Authority Employees. Since PWA workers were busy getting water restored, the meter reading was put on hold temporarily.

Noble estimated nearly half of the town’s meters were read on May 29. Bills that were due by June 10 showed more usage and resulted in larger bills causing some customers to complain. Noble said since the meters have been read on time this month, many of the bills were back on track and even lower than normal.

     

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