The Mornin' Mail is published every weekday except major holidays
Tuesday, August 14, 2001 Volume X, Number 41

did ya know?

Did Ya Know?. . .Magic Moments Riding Therapy, a nonprofit organization that helps people with disabilities, is looking for volunteers to work one evening per week with our riders. There will be an informational program, "Introduction to Riding Therapy," at 7 p.m. on Aug. 16th at Magic Moments, 1 ½ miles east of J.R.’s Western Store. For more info call 417-325-4490. Volunteers must be at least 14 years old.

Did Ya Know?. . .Cats make great pets. The Carthage Humane Society has a loving long-legged black tabby female who needs a home. For more information call 358-6402.

Did Ya Know?. . .Junior and Senior High School students can sign up at the Carthage Public Library’s YPL desk for the M.A.K.O. Fly Fishing seminar to be held Aug. 18th. For more info call 237-2040.

today's laugh

Lightning knocked over three men who were sitting on boxes in front of Sawyer’s store. One of them was knocked senseless; the other two exclaimed, "Leggo! I’m comin’ right home!"

Traveler- "I want to buy a toothbrush."
Storekeeper- "Sorry, brother, but our line of summer novelties ain’t in yet."

1901
INTERESTING MELANGE.
A Chronological Record of Events as they have Transpired in the City and County since our last Issue.

DEGREE STAFF SELECTED.

S. K. and L. of S. Preparing for a Wholesale Initiation.

The Select Knights and Ladies of Security last night acted on four new applications and now have twenty victims on the anxious bench awaiting a general initiation.

In preparation for this a degree staff has been formed as follows: President, I. C. Hodson; Vice President, Mrs. J. V. Pearman and Mrs. Chas. Myers; Prelate, Mrs. James Herron; Conductor, Mrs. Gierhart; Guard, I. W. Dreisback; Captain, Lee Barry; Knights, Josh Turnage, Albert Smith, E. J. Orr and Carl Durand; Banner Bearers, Misses Grace Zeigler, Letitia Dunn and Mrs. C. C. Orr.


Mrs. Joe McCullom of Webb City, entertained at a seven o’clock dinner last evening in honor of Irving B. Hazen of Chicago, and her sister, Miss Anna Burch, of this city.

  Today's Feature


Carthage R-9 School District Tax Rate.


new release

Jasper County residents received statements recently from the Jasper County Assessor informing them of the increased assessed values of their properties as a result of reassessment. The question becomes, "How much more tax will we have to pay?"

Cities and schools districts are supposed to reduce their tax levies to avoid receiving a windfall of new revenue resulting from reassessment. However, local districts have more to consider than local taxes in making that decision. For example, the state minimum that school districts are required to levy is $2.75 per $100 of assessed valuation as established by the Outstanding Schools Act of 1993 (Senate Bill 380). The penalty for failing to levy the state minimum would be loss of accreditation with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and loss of all state revenues, which in 2000-2001 totaled almost $6,000,000, according to Dr. Gary Reed, Superintendent.

However, a district can levy less than $2.75 when the district’s tax levy ceiling falls below $2.75, a category for which the R-9 District hasn’t qualified until this year due to reassessment. Since the district’s tax levy ceiling has dropped to $2.6501, the district has the option of approving a levy ranging from $2.6501 up to $2.75 to comply with state statutes.

The catch is that the state funding formula rewards districts with more state funding if they collect more locally. So, Superintendent Reed says, "Under the state formula, the more you collect locally, the more you get from the state."

The local district also has the option to utilize Amendment 2, which was approved by the voters of Jasper County and the State of Missouri in 1998, to set local levy at the state minimum of $2.75.

The Carthage R-9 School District’s tax levy for operating expenses in 2000-2001 was $2.75 per $100 assessed valuation. Operating expenses include salaries, supplies, textbooks, equipment, utilities and some capital improvements. The debt service levy was $0.56 for payment on the district’s debt for facilities. The total levy was $3.31 per $100 assessed valuation.

Because of reassessment, the district’s assessed valuation has grown from $183,260,640 to $229,849,640, about a 25% increase.

In Carthage, Reed says the difference in local revenue between levies of $2.6501 and $2.75 is about $225,000. By collecting that extra tax locally, the district will qualify for an additional $284,699 in state funding. Reed pointed out that the state match on local funds up to the $2.6501 mark is about 90 cents in state funds for every dollar collected locally. However, for every additional dollar collected under a $2.75 local levy, the state formula match would be about $1.26.

Reed added, "When we find grant opportunities that we want to pursue, we always feel good about 50/50 matching funds from the state. This is better than a 50/50 match."

Reed also stated that the additional funds are needed to continue to improve the educational opportunities for our children and for salary increases for teachers. "Our children will go into the workplace or to colleges and universities across the country, and we need to provide them an equal opportunity to compete globally. Many of the districts across the state levy taxes of $5.00 to $6.00 per $100 assessed valuation, and Missouri is toward the bottom in expenditures for education compared to other states. Our children deserve the same types of opportunities other children have. If we don’t maintain the $2.75 levy, there will be very little growth in revenues for several years to maintain the programs we have worked so hard to build." Reed further commented, "Teacher salaries are always an important factor in being able to attract and retain the best people possible to work with our children. The teacher shortage is real, and we need to do all we can to provide the very best staff possible."

According to Reed, all of the districts in Jasper County have indicated that plans to approve an operating levy of $2.75.

The Carthage R-9 Board of Education will be setting the local property tax levy for 2001-2002 at a public tax rate hearing in conjunction with their regular monthly meeting at 7:00 p.m., on Monday, August 20, in the Steadley Elementary School multipurpose room.


Commentary
Martin "Bubs" Hohulin
State Representative, District 126

There were three special elections held this week to fill vacant House seats. As expected, the one in St. Louis was won by the democrat candidate. The one in extreme north Missouri that was expected to be won by the republican was won by the democrat and the district just south of that was won by the republican.

Both seats up north had been held by republicans, so the democrats actually ended up with a net gain of one seat. As has been happening in special elections recently, record amounts of money were spent in these races. My biggest concern is that this now gives Gov. Bob Holden one more vote for his outrageous policies.

The interesting thing in these elections were the way both sets of candidates conducted their campaign. As expected, the republican candidates talked about how they were against what Gov. Holden has been proposing and doing.

What was strange was that was exactly what the democrat candidates were also doing. Both democrat candidates were doing all they could to distance themselves from Gov. Holden. It will be interesting to see how far that goes once he is sworn into office.

I still remember when I was first elected and met the other newly elected representatives. I was struck by how conservative they all sounded, even the democrats. I remember thinking how great it would be to work with so many like minded people.

Boy, did things change after we were sworn in! They started voting for every liberal proposal that came along. When I would ask them about it, they would look sheepish and shrug their shoulders.

The fact is that if they wanted a nicer office, better committee assignments, committee chairmanships, etc. they had to do what the leadership told them to do.

I guess that was one of the few advantages of being in the minority party. Our leadership has nothing to offer in the way of ‘incentives’, and I guess I would hope we wouldn’t operate that way even if we were in the majority. After spending the whole campaign distancing himself from Gov. Holden, I am anxious to see how he holds up on the first major issue that comes up. I wish him strength and fortitude. He is going to need it.

Speaking of Gov. Holden and his policies, a lot of government workers are really upset about his executive order regarding unionization. They don’t want money taken out of their paychecks to go to union bosses and I don’t blame them.

There have been some letters to the editor and we are going to have to keep a close eye out so that there is no retaliation against those workers brave enough to speak out against this money grab.

As usual, I can be reached at House Post Office, State Capitol, Jefferson City, MO 65101, or 1-800-878-7126, or mhohulin@services.state.mo.us for your questions, comments, or advice.


Just Jake Talkin'

Mornin',

The tentative numbers in for the adjustment to City taxes for the new assessment are showin’ a reduction from 95 cents a hundred to 74 cents. They are tentative numbers cause it all depends on how many folks get their assessment reduced.

Your City taxes will be about the same no matter what the actual number ends up.

The City will gain a few thousand dollars a year with the new set up cause of inflation and such.

The County will be in about the same boat most likely, endin’ up with a rate that generates ‘bout the same amount of actual cash.

From what I’m understanin’ ‘bout the school tax, the state is the one comin’ out on the long end of that stick. We’ll look closer at this over the next few weeks I’m sure.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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McCune- Brooks Hospital

Weekly Column

Health Notes

Health & Nutrition by Judith Sheldon

SALMONELLA is a serious health threat that is largely preventable. Most people may know fowl, for example, should be thoroughly cooked. Eggs can carry salmonella.

Don’t use raw eggs in salad dressings, drinks or homemade ice cream. Raw or runny eggs are risky.

Utensils used on fowl or raw eggs should be washed in hot soapy water before using them on other foods.

Don’t put food on a surface that held raw fowl or raw eggs until it’s been disinfected. I like to use bleach to clean counters and sinks.

I also use plastic cutting boards, because they’re much easier to clean in hot soapy water than wooden boards.

Also, germs can thrive in the cracks in a wooden board. If you do use wood for fowl, meats or fish, try a trick my mother used on hers - scrub it down with moistened kosher (coarse) salt - before and after use.

When you’re through with it, dry with a paper towel and hang it up to dry in the air. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling fowl or eggs.

Germs on the hand can easily pass into the body if you touch your lips or the area around the eyes.

   

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