Staff writer
Marion County Commission approved the 2009 budget Monday with a four-mill increase or about $404,000.
Commissioner Randy Dallke asked auditor Scott Loyd of Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk & Loyd, why Prairie Lawn Cemetery, near Peabody, had an increase in its budget. Loyd said that increase reflected money that was carried over and not expenses.
Loyd said he will complete the county’s audit in the next few weeks.
In other business:
- Dallke requested a 10-minute executive session with county lake superintendent Steve Hudson. The meeting reconvened with no decisions.
- Deputy county treasurer Rose Funk received a one-year pay increase and salary adjustment to make her salary within the median range. Her monthly salary increased from $2,311 to $2,584.
- Through a memo, county economic development director Teresa Huffman expressed concern about participation from the Marion County Economic Development Council in volunteering to work at a booth at the Kansas State Fair. The county is sharing booth space with the South Central Tourism Region and is responsible for finding volunteers for several open slots. Huffman said only one council member volunteered to work. She asked the commission, through her memo, if county employees could volunteer to work the booth and trade a day off work for their efforts. The commission tabled the decision until Friday when commissioner Dan Holub will be in attendance.
- Bobbi Strait, county sanitarian, asked county clerk Carol Maggard to present an invoice for $800 from Dalke Construction for the relocation of a sewer lagoon that was erroneously dug on the wrong property. She was not comfortable in approving the costs but the commission decided there was no choice but to pay. Dallke said he wanted to make sure an agreement had been signed between the parties before finalizing the project.
- The commission reviewed the final draft of the county’s strategic plan. Resolutions adopting and implementing the plan will be presented Friday.
- A contract with Tom Brown of Savant Services of McPherson for planning services will be reviewed Friday with Holub in attendance. The cost is $6,500.
- The next commission meeting is at 9 a.m. Friday at the courthouse. The commission will not meet next week.