Forsyth Fire Department merger may be just the beginning!

What’s wrong with this picture? Now the Mayor of Forsyth Missouri, Ron Potter wants to merge his mostly volunteer Fire Department with that of the Western Taney Fire Protection District. OK… He states that such a merger would save the City over 30K at a time when money in the General Fund are about thirty five percent of what they should be ($62K versus a normal 175K). According to Potter, “We’re in tough times.” I'd have to agree with that assessment. Especially, after reading the results of the recent audit of his City. Now, the Mayor and his fellow Aldermen are scrambling to save money anyway they can.

The question is, however, if this merger does go through…just what are the citizens of the Fair City of Forsyth losing in the process? I mean they must be losing something tangible, right? Otherwise, perhaps a merger like that would have taken place years ago…

Another question concerns the financial shape of the City of Forsyth itself. Accord to the recently released State Audit, ‘the General Fund is in poor financial condition’. It also went as far as to state that this situation was attributable to the fact that ‘the Board of Aldermen failed to monitor the budget and cash balances’. Uh, wait up just a second. Isn’t that a major function of their job description? I mean, how exactly did this august body of individuals fail to notice that the General Fund decreased by over half ? (I’m pretty sure I’d notice if my banking account was off by even fifty bucks in any given month! Here we’re talking a hundred grand or so).

OK, so perhaps that is all water over the dam. What’s done is done and can’t be undone, as they say. Now, the City is faced with making some pretty tough decisions like with the Fire Department merger. I have wonder what’s going to be next on the old chopping block?

Disclaimer: All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.

My case for a City of Forsyth Newsletter!

A tongue in cheek newsletter example!

Since I’ve produced a newsletter, from time to time in the past, I can tell you that they can be a real pain to create. After all, even producing a single page takes compositional skills, good input and above all else…a desire to get it done!

Having stated that, I feel a City of Forsyth newsletter (whether it be monthly or quarterly), could serve as a cost effective vehicle to help keep the citizens of Forsyth informed concerning budgetary and other issues that are coming up for consideration by the Board of Aldermen. By posting on the internet, I feel the City would be honoring its moral responsibilities in keeping the public informed while saving money via electronic posting. (My rather satirical example can be seen here).

Certainly, there would be no lack of topics for such a paper. Just taking some of the recommendations put forth by the State Auditor's report should provide ample material for some time to come! In addition, by posting controversial topics such as the merger of the City Fire Department with the Western Taney County Fire Department would not only make for an informed populace but would also benefit the City with much needed feedback for those most affected by such a move.

I know that the City of Forsyth has considered this idea in the past. (They even have a spot reserved for a newsletter on their website). Perhaps now would be a good time to take affirmative action so that, jointly, both City officials and the public can address what some feel is a crisis of too little information.

City of Forsyth Audit results

On June 19^th at 5:30 PM, the City of Forsyth hosted a Public Forum whereby Deputy Missouri State Auditor Harry Otto presented the findings of the first ever audit of the City of Forsyth Missouri. The audit which was ordered as a result of a petition by over 200 citizens of the City was asked for in response to a concern that monies collected as part of a half cent ‘recreation tax’ may not have been entirely used in the manner they were supposed to be used, that is, for the maintenance of local area parks.

Proceeding began promptly in a room that was packed with concerned citizens, city officials and members of the media. Each person received a twenty page ‘State Auditor Report’ that contained both a Citizens Summary and a detailed report that covered eight specific areas that the audit found to be in need of correction. Addressed at the forum were the following areas:

1)      Financial Condition

2)      Real Estate Purchases

3)      Restricted Revenues

4)      Utility Controls and Procedures

5)      Accounting Controls and Procedures

6)      Expenditures

7)      Payroll Controls and Procedures

8)      Budgets and Ordinances

Overall, the Audit found the City’s performance to be only ‘fair’ and in each section there were recommendations made by the auditing body along with a written response from the Board of Aldermen. Mr. Otto made it clear to all present that there would be no follow-up to this audit and advised everyone present that it is the citizens responsibility to ‘hold the Boards feet to the fire’ through attendance and involvement at the frequent board meetings that are held at City Hall and which are open to the public.

My take on this whole schmear was that, while there was no criminal activity in the way the Board administered city funds, some procedures have been executed poorly and need to be tightened up (perhaps the April elections could help here). I also had the impression that this audit, which was spearheaded by citizens like former Alderwoman Missi Hesketh, was fully justified as it exposed glaring inefficiencies in the manner in which monies were being used and accounted for.

Hopefully, everyone will walk away from this effort with a desire to improve the City operationally and with the certain knowledge that the audit process itself, which was initiated by concerned citizens, is proof that the built-in political checks and balances are fully operational.

The complete audit report can be found here: http://auditor.mo.gov/Press/2012-50.pdf

Disclaimer: All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.

Forsyth Library Thrift Store

During these hard times when it seems everyone is trying to stretch their inflationary dollars, a thrift store can help bridge the gap when it comes to clothes purchases!

I recently stopped at the Thrift store located across from the Forsyth City Hall and was pleasantly surprised that they not only offered men's clothing, but that they also had a great selection! I was able to quickly find a printed t-shirt and a pullover at jaw dropping prices! The store also carries women’s and children’s clothing on racks throughout the store! In the future, I’m making this great venue a frequent stop!

According to my information the store hours and telephone are:
Monday-Friday  9:00AM-4:00PM    
Saturday 9:00AM-1:00PM 
  
Telephone:  (417)546-5004 

Public Forum June 19 in Forsyth

Here's one City Hall meeting you don't want to miss! Seems the report on the audit of the city is now ready for review and comment. The meeting will be public and will be held at the Forsyth City Hall on Tuesday, June 19th at 5:30 PM, this according to trusted sources. See you all there!

2012 Taney Fair coming together!

Click on to enlarge

With just a couple of weeks to go before the 2012 Taney County Fair comes to town, there’s still ‘lots of work that needs to be done’, Fair President Dennis House informed me when I stopped by recently to view their progress. He also indicated that volunteers were needed to help pull everything together, so if you want to help out or need additional information, please contact one of the Board members at http://www.taneycountyfair.org/! The Fair starts on Tuesday, June the 12^th and runs through Saturday, the 16^th. Advance tickets and Arm Bands are on sale at Save-A-Lot, Hilltop Gas & Grocery, Scooter’s, Park Place Market and Prime Time! Arm bands are $13 in advance and $16 at the gate. These locations also have limited supplies of Fair Booklets to give away – I’ve enclosed copies of a few pages of some of the events here!

  Disclaimer: All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.

'Taco Tuesday' at The Junction in Kissee Mills Missouri!

I've never met a taco I didn't like! Hi end, low end, soft or hard shelled – even a poorly made taco is better than no taco at all! Those were my thoughts, as I cruised in to the newly opened venue that is featuring a 'Taco Tuesday' on every (what else) Tuesday. The Junction Bar and Grill is located near the intersection of Highway 160-76 in Kissee Mills Missouri. While it's still a work in progress, according to owners Mike and Maggie Osterday, it is a complete establishment where hungry and thirsty people congregate. On this particular day, I was meeting a couple of 'associates' who also wanted to try out this dish from just south of the border.

Now, it should be re-stated that not all tacos are created equal. In the realm of the hard shell taco there are all sorts of fillings that can be incorporated. What many do have in common is some sort of spiced meat, (usually ground beef) and perhaps some shredded cheese and lettuce. Taco Bell, located in downtown Forsyth Missouri, features a hard shell with a filling of meat, topped with diced tomatoes, some shredded lettuce and cheese (this venue closed in July 2012). Throw on a little hot sauce and you have yourself a wonderful taste sensation! On this visit to the Junction, I wanted to contrast the two and maybe even declare a winner.

Now normally, I would have asked my dining companions for their insight on such fine taco attributes as concerned the overall texture, taste and appearance. Unfortunately, with these two yahoos, that would be like trying to compare an original Mona Lisa to a crude etch-a-sketch. To wit, watching them 'eat' was not very unlike witnessing a commercial garbage disposal running at full bore! To my amazement, I don't think either of these men actually chewed their food; rather they engulfed it. One second nine tacos were there and the next nine were not! I found that a little creepy and I decided to go ahead and critique these tacos el solo...

Critique: The Junction 'Tuesday Taco'

To begin, here is a brief physical description of ingredients I think were used used:

Corn tortilla

Ground beef

Taco sauce

Lettuce

Shredded cheese

Hot sauce (you have to ask for it)

The cost per taco was .80 cents as compared to .89 cents for the hard shelled tacos at Taco Bell! Score a point for The Junction!

I estimate that the calories came to about 170 each, so two of these along with a cold brewski came to about 300 calories total! I found the taco shell to be crunchy and the taste of the filling was as good as any taco I've ever tasted! I'd score this deal at a solid 8 – good lunch time food that while I wouldn't say it was quite as good as the stuff Taco Bell put out, it was close...real close! A major point in the favor of the Junction is the fact you can order a beer with your food. For me that clinches it! I'm eating at the Junction when they have Taco Tuesday from now on!

If you live anywhere close to Kissee Mills Missouri or are planning to vacation near there, I'd urge you to stop in and support this venue. It's the kind of establishment and small business that lies at the very core of this great country of ours! Tell 'em DanO sent ya~

  Disclaimer: All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.