County approves budget
Marion County commissioners, after holding an 18-minute budget hearing attended by nine people Monday morning, approved the county budget for 2004.
It involves a projected (planned) expenditure of $12,277,447. Ad valorem property tax to be levied this year in support of the budget totals $4,646,850. The mill levy for the county remains unchanged at 50.901.
In answer to a question from one of the people at the hearing, Commissioner Leroy Wetta said commissioners do not yet know which deputy will be cut from the employment roll in the sheriff's department.
Commission Chairman Howard Collett, responding to another question, said most traffic on state highways such as U.S.-50 that pass through this county is not local traffic.
"Should Marion County enforce speeding laws all the time on U.S. 50?," he asked rhetorically.
Wetta said the sheriff or the Kansas Highway Patrol can patrol any road or highway that is in the county. Sometimes they may patrol just to be seen by motorists, especially speeders, Wetta said. This could inspire a "fear factor" in potential speeders, he added.
However, he agreed with an audience member that that fear factor is "almost gone," for lack of sufficient numbers of officers.
He said, "We can't stop every speeder or other lawbreaker."
Scot Loyd, the county's auditor and accountant, said, "Who's covering what, with less money, is a problem and a strain for everyone."
David Brazil, county sanitarian and director of planning/zoning and the transfer station, said money needed to be found to pay the salary of a half-time employee already approved and working at the transfer station.
Commissioner Bob Hein said, "Take it out of the general fund." This was made a formal motion, and it passed, 2-1, with Collett voting "nay." The money involved is about $10,000 per year.
Collett said he voted against it, knowing it would pass, because the hiring of the person had been approved by the commission, and he had thought the wages had been appropriated in the budget deliberations.
Commissioners also passed a resolution stating that the county took in $23,000 more than expected because valuation of property in the county is up. The county did not, however, raise the mill levy.
County Clerk Carol Maggard is to look further into a "free tree" offer made to the county. If the county picks up the tree (where is uncertain), plants it, and puts up a plaque about it, the tree is to be a gift.
Purchase of two new personal computers for the Marion County Treasurer's Office was approved. These are for operating the RVI (Real Vision Imaging) system already purchased.
Both will be purchased from Great Plains, Marion. One will cost $837, the other $1,232, a total of $2,069. One will be paid for from the treasurer's budget, the second from auto funds, Treasurer Jeannine Bateman said.
Commissioners accepted low bids from Cardie Oil Inc., Tampa, for provision of transport fuel for the road and bridge department, at a total price of $9,627.10. It includes 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel for Tank 3 for $4,729.60, 1,000 gallons for Tank 1 for $926.40, and 3,000 gallons of gasoline for $3,971.10.
