Commission wants to increase minimum bids
The board will discuss options with attorney
Staff reporter
Marion County Commission will discuss tax sale options Friday with county attorney Susan Robson.
Commission chairman Dan Holub asked the commission Monday to consider an increase of the county's minimum bid for a real estate tax sale on May 26. Previously the minimum bid was $50.
Commissioner Randy Dallke said he was aware of a property in Peabody that was purchased for $50 three years ago. The new owner never paid any taxes on it and it is again on the tax sale.
Holub also suggested the commission consider giving properties that don't sell to cities for development.
In other business:
— A bid from Cardie Oil Company of Tampa for $21,560 for 6,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 2,500 gallons of unleaded fuel was approved. The average price of diesel fuel was $2.45 per gallon and $2.58 for unleaded.
Cooperative Grain & Supply of Hillsboro also presented a bid of $21,796 for the same amount of fuel.
— Additional credit cards and a credit card usage policy are being considered the commission.
The commission reviewed information provided by county clerk Carol Maggard regarding options for credit cards.
Currently the sheriff's department has a credit card but other departments had been using personal cards to make room reservations for county meetings. Information was given to the commission from UMB which has specific programs for municipalities.
Maggard said there would be no transaction or monthly service fees for the card since it would be paid in full each month. Payments could be set up through individual departments which would make each department responsible for its cards. Monthly billing cycles could be set up to accommodate the county's payroll schedule. She added a disadvantage with this type of program would be no paper trail of vendors.
The commission instructed Maggard to contact banks within the county for similar services.
— More information was requested by the commission regarding longevity pay for full-time county employees.
Maggard had provided information for this year's budget for each of the two plans but Dallke asked for projected expenses for a five-year period.
— A public meeting that was planned for May 26 to discuss the 2007 county budget has been postponed until June. Department heads are being asked to present information at the meeting for individual budgets and need more time to prepare, said Maggard.
— An extension was approved to allow valuations for personal and oil and gas properties to be made by June 1 instead of May 1.
— The commission signed a grant application for a bio-terrorism grant in the amount of $5,353.
— The commission also signed a Kansas Department of Corrections comprehensive plan for Eighth Judicial District Community Corrections.
— A meeting will be planned with some original members of the road naming committee to discuss changes to county road signs. The commission recently was made aware of duplicate addresses that would require directions added to road names such as north, south, east, and west.
The next commission meeting is at 9 a.m. Friday. The commission will not meet Monday.
