Marion County
The Peabody Gazette-Bulletin reported that the Marion County Firefighters Association will host a family fireworks extravaganza at dusk Sept. 2 at Marion County Lake.
The fireworks will top off a long list of activities for the day, which will take place at the lake hall area on the west side of the lake. Games for kids will begin at 2 p.m. and last until about 6 p.m. Old and new fire trucks will be on display and the Life Team helicopter will land at 4:30 p.m. (weather permitting). A meal of pulled pork or a hot dog with chips, baked beans and a drink will be available for a donation beginning at 5 p.m. For more information, contact Rose at (620) 983-2662 or Ashley Sheridan at (620) 242-2170.
Greenwood County
The Greenwood County Commission approved the trade-in of six graders and purchase of six new ones on Monday during their regular meeting.
The Madison News reported that the commission accepted the proposal from Murphy Tractor & Equipment Co. to trade in six used graders and purchase six new John Deere 670D graders using state-negotiated pricing. The lease price per machine is $146,589 each, less the trade-in for the John Deere 770CH at $105,000 each, making the trade-in difference $41,589 for each machine.
Lebo
The Coffey County Republican reported that the Lebo City Council held a budget hearing for the 2008 budget on Aug. 6, but there were no questions from the public.
The proposed 2008 budget raises the mill levy from 29.587 to 39.607 mills. City Accountant Larry Douglas said the 10-mill increase was necessary to raise more money for the police department. The employment of a full-time officer when the city didn’t have funds in 2007, plus the amount of police department expenditures since then had stretched the city’s finances at a time when it had no extra money.
Chase County
The Chase County Board of Commissioners approved and signed the county’s 2008 budget, as published, at their Monday meeting.
The Chase County Leader-News reported that the budget sets the county mill levy for 2008 (including the fire district) at 62.209, which is a 1.015 mills reduction from 2007’s budget. The county’s valuation increased approximately 1.8 percent from $40,036,642 in 2007 to $40,760,768 in 2008, slightly more than the 1.6 percent decrease in the mill levy.