News editor
Even without including the money raised by a special 0.5 percent sales tax to pay for a new jail, Marion County’s sales tax receipts increased 2.3 percent from 2010 to 2011.
A report by Deputy County Clerk Tina Spencer to Marion County Commission on Friday indicated sales tax received — not including the jail sales tax — in 2011 was $645,562, an increase of $14,576 from the previous year.
Sales tax received in December for October sales was $52,515, up from $49,000 in 2010. That is an increase of 7.2 percent.
While discussing what may have led to the increase, Commissioner Dan Holub noted that consumer prices continue to increase.
Sales tax received for payment on the new jail for the month was $46,634. That brings the four-month total to $186,456.
With a mild winter so far, construction of the jail is progressing well, commissioners said.
Continuing the theme of good news, a pair of insurance premiums will be lower in 2012. The county’s workers’ compensation insurance premium through Kansas Workers Risk Cooperative for Counties will be $97,962, down from $100,701 in 2011. The county’s share of the insurance for Eighth Judicial District Community Corrections is $3,145, also down from recent years.
In other business:
- Road and Bridge Department supervisors Bud Druse and Jesse Hamm met with the commission in closed session to discuss personnel matters. No action was taken on return to open session.
- The commission signed a letter of support for Marion County Fire District No. 7 of Tampa, which is seeking a grant to purchase equipment.
- Requests to encumber funds for 2012 were approved, including $7,578 for equipment for 911, $36,640 for a lowboy trailer for Road and Bridge Department, $21,000 for tree cutting, $450 for a backdoor awning at the Health Department, $1,500 for a laser printer in the clerk’s office, $5,386 for geographic information system mapping for Planning and Zoning Department, and $5,000 to fix water damage in the Register of Deeds office. Encumbered funds must be used to make purchases approved in 2011 that couldn’t be filled until 2012.
- Outstanding checks worth $1,718 more than two years old were written off. The commission approved a new policy that the county call recipients of all outstanding checks for $50 or more after one year. If a check is reissued, the stop payment fee will be deducted from the new check.
- Holub said it appeared an offer South Central Kansas Economic Development District had for someone to purchase the Holiday Motel in Florence had evaporated.
The next commission meeting will be Jan. 9.