Marion City Council aproves 2008 budget with modest mill levy increase

Written by Jerry Engler Wednesday, 15 August 2007 05:15

The Marion City Council approved its 2008 budget Monday with a three-tenths mill levy increase.

The council also approved a recommendation from Economic Director Jami Williams to switch Web providers from Infinitec to local company Florence Web Computers for a savings of more than $500 annually, a bid of $250 per year compared to more than $770 from Infinitec.

Williams said Rick Burcky of the Florence company also will save the city money by doing updates, and by not charging for design.

The council approved a proposal from Clerk Angela Lange to contractwith Absolute Shred of Kansas, based in Hillsboro, to dispose of outdated files in storage with some effort made to retain possible historic documents.

Williams said only slightly...

Read more: Marion City Council aproves 2008 budget with modest mill levy increase

Hillsboro to set hearing for liquor zoning

Written by Don Ratzlaff Wednesday, 15 August 2007 05:13

After a discussion with the city’s planning consultant and representatives from the Plan­ning and Zoning Commission at its Aug. 7 meeting, the Hillsboro City Council directed the commission to conduct a public hearing about zoning regulations regarding liquor by the drink.

Zoning consultant John Riggs said state and county statutes allow liquor by the drink, but cities have the authority to regulate the location of such establishments through zoning.

“You can control it, but you do have to allow it,” Riggs said.

Craig Roble, Planning Com­mission chair, said commission members think the majority of local citizens do not want to see liquor by the drink implemented in town. At the same time, he added, commission members...

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Florence council raises tax levy by 2.5 mills

Written by Michelle Avis Wednesday, 15 August 2007 05:10

Because of a reduction in the town’s valuation, the 2008 city budget will require a property-tax increase of almost 2.5 mills.

After a public hearing prior to its regular Aug. 6 meeting, the Florence City Council approved the new budget in regular session.

The mill levy for 2008 will increase from 86.291 to 88.760.

After a 15-minute executive session for personnel-related matters, the council decided to give city maintenance workers a $.75 per hour raise with further raises contingent upon upcoming employee evaluations.

Reilly Reed of the Labor Day committee requested extra trash bins, picnic tables and barricades for the holiday celebration. The city will pay $650 toward half the cost of portable toilets.

Council members even...

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Sunflower Road bids come in lower than anticipated

Written by Jerry Engler Wednesday, 08 August 2007 04:56

What once might have been a high bid left Marion County commissioners smiling in relief Tuesday, July 31, at a payday meeting, when the winning bid for surfacing 10 miles of Sunflower Road by Schilling Construction of Manhattan came in at $793,583 instead of an engineer’s estimate at $1.02 million.

In the past two years, when promised state aid for the project faltered at negotiations at a half-million dollars, the commissioners at times seemed to hope the total bill might fall close to that bracket of a project. But oil prices for the 2-inch overlay have spiraled upward since then.

The aid given fell short of redoing the road that ended up as a detour route into Marion’s Third Street during state reconstruction of U.S. Highway...

Read more: Sunflower Road bids come in lower than anticipated