Lyon County sales tax collections were down for the month of January, making it the third lowest January since implementation of the half-cent sales tax that was put into place to pay the Lyon County Courthouse bonds.
During today's Lyon County Commission study session, Commission Chairman Scott Briggs said that the sales tax numbers didn’t look good for February. However, Lyon County Controller Dan Slater, said collections were still $80,000 more than the county needed for indebtedness. Briggs said the numbers are only from the first month of the year.
In other matters, Rick Frevert, of Lyon County Emergency Management, spoke to commissioners about the need to purchase a new truck to pull the Northeast Region command trailer the county is housing. The county does not have the equipment to pull the trailer.
“We’re needing about $13,000 to $14,000 to buy a used truck to pull it with,” Frevert said.
Commissioners put the item on other business for Thursday.
Frevert also discussed mutual aide agreements with surrounding counties.
“We’ve been asked to re-write all the gentlemen agreements that have been out there the last 50 years,” Frevert said.
In other matters:
• Commissioners discussed sending Chip Woods to the Kansas Transportation Engineering Conference in Manhattan in April and pay the $109 registration and related travel expenses from the Road and Bridge fund.
emporian (anonymous) says...
Maybe I am missing the boat. We have 2 command trailers in this county. Now the 2nd one is supposed to be regional response with lyon county footing the bill for the tow vehicle. You mean to tell me out of all the Road and bridge and VFDs in the area we cant find a truck that would pull that? Meanwhile we have a pager system in this county that is delayed, doesn't work right, or doesn't work at all half the time and Mr. Frevert told us it was cost prohibitive to change how it works, yet we can blow 14k on a truck for a regional command trailer. I think our priorities are in the wrong place.
March 4, 2009 at 2:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Just because there's $80 thousand more than what is needed for county indebtedness, I hope these county fathers and mothers don't find ways of spending and spending and spending. Right now this trailer is a foolish expense. Save our money for a rainy day!!!
March 4, 2009 at 6:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Blue_Dog (anonymous) says...
That is one bright spot in regards to the sales tax for the courthouse.
It can only be used to payoff the bonds. Only if it does not generate enough funds to meet the bond payment would it matter. Because then it would come from property taxes.
March 4, 2009 at 11:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
come on county commissioners,
A used truck to pull a trailer? In a emergency, comandeer a county dump truck to pull it to the site. Or maybe use one of the many other trucks the county already has, or maybe one of the Emporia Fire Departments trucks. Hell, hook it up to a road grader. Once the trailer is set unhook the truck. $13,000.00 or $14,000.00 for this NOT NEEDED truck would be a slap in the taxpayers face.
Steve
March 5, 2009 at 7 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )