Taney County Library tax vote on April 2!

As my readers may or may not know, on April 2^nd 2013 as part of the General Municipal Election, voter’s will be asked to vote yea or nay on a new tax that would allow for the upgrade of two private libraries located in Branson and Forsyth. The tax would be a levy added to property tax assessments and would amount to 15 cents for every $100 of assessed valuation.

As you might guess, some citizens are not particularly happy with what they feel is yet another tax hike with no visible cuts to act as a counterweight. Others, like this individual, bring up the question of trust of the political process overall:

‘Tax & Spend = Failed Promises Most taxpayer’s in Taney County have never taken the time to check up on the political subdivisions that collect taxes in this county. What really goes on at their board meetings? What happens when you request public records? How much do they spend on employee’s salaries? Do the boards actually follow the state law they were formed under?

Unfortunately, most citizens can’t answer these simple questions. On the other hand, there is a small group of citizen’s working hard to keep watch over how tax dollars are spent by the ever-growing list of political subdivisions in Taney County. How much is enough? Will the citizens of Taney County on April 2nd accept more of the same old rhetoric and live with more taxes, resulting in more failed promises from yet another political board? I believe there are some facts that taxpayers deserve to know about the individuals managing their tax dollars. These facts just start to tell the story of waste, and over taxation that the citizens of Taney County have experienced for years. The health department is funded through a 14¢ per $100 of assessed evaluation on property tax. They currently spend 1.5 million dollars a year on just the top 15 highest paid employees. The developmentally disabled board collects 8.9¢ per $100 of assessed evaluation on property tax. However, they recently spent $650,000 on a church building that is over 15 years old. The senior board receives their money through 5¢ per $100 of assessed evaluation on property tax; in spite of this the board has yet to provide meals on wheels to all seniors in need, even with a surplus of tax money. The Branson School district collects $4.02/$100 of assessed evaluation on property tax. They spend over 1.2 million dollars a year on the top 15 highest paid employees. The board also doesn’t allow public comment at their monthly board meetings, and they attempt to restrict access to public records. The Taney County Ambulance District is funded from a sales tax collected in Taney County.

Approximately 70% of their yearly budget consists of payroll and benefits. According to the director there isn’t an ambulance station East of the Kissee Mills junction because quote, “It just isn’t profitable”, yet those living in Eastern Taney County have paid the tax for years. The proposed Library District and its board continue to promise countless things to the voters, like a book delivery service, a coffee shop, public meeting space and computer access. These promises are part of the same similar rhetoric used by other groups who have proposed taxes in the past. I encourage more citizens to ask tough questions, attend board meetings, and request public records. Ask yourself one important question on April 2nd: Can the people of Taney County bare the burden of more taxes and failed promises?’

While I have been a long time supporter of the library in Forsyth and would like to see it prosper, I also feel this individual brings up some valid points. I would also encourage every citizen to get involved in this debate. After all it is your money they’re talking about.

Taney Services Weather Page

I’ve recently launched a web site (www.taneyservices.com) that has weather as a primary focus. While it’s intended to cover the Taney County Missouri area, there are elements that might be of interest for people living in other parts of the US.

Poker Run scheduled for April 7 2013

Business Briefs

So, what’s with the Frote Mu?

Aka, the Frosted Mug, which has served the Forsyth area for many decades seems to be losing its name as the letters over the main entrance have begun to disappear. Suspecting that they might be closing, I inquired and was told, no that there were no plans at the current time by one of their long term employees. Perhaps the City could take up a collection…..Oh, and did I mention they have a Wifi site that actually works?

Charlie’s Wifi went away! Perhaps to return some other day.

For years, Charlie’s Ribs Steak and Ale located off Hwy 160 in Forsyth Mo, offered Wifi for any customers who needed a computer connection while they visited this popular eatery. I often enjoyed wandering around the internet figuratively while dining there. Then, one day, I noticed that their wireless connection was no more. A sign of toughening economic conditions? I don’t know.

The Junction is no more!

Another up and coming venue known as the Junction Bar and Grill located across from Scooters in Kissee Mills has closed recently. The last day was Saturday, March 16^th when a popular band ‘No Sweat’ played to a ‘packed house’ according to Tony Clements, one of the band members. Rumor had it that the reason the owner closed the establishment was due to health concerns. If true, that would be a shame as it served up good food and cold drinks to a biker friendly crowd. It’s unknown as to whether the business has plans to re-open in the future.

Powersite Sewer Project update for March 2013!

I thought it a good time to write about the Powersite North Sanitary Sewer Improvements Project as it's been a couple of years since my last post on this riveting topic. First off, it turns out that getting all those easements done may have taken the Great River Associates a bit longer than they anticipated.  An excerpt taken from their webpage provided me with a clue:

5. When will construction start?

“The construction of the project will be bid once the design is complete, a Missouri Department of Natural Resources Permit is obtained, and necessary easements and property have been acquired.  At this time, it is expected that the project will be bid in late 2011.  The biggest variable in determining this time is the easement and property acquisition phase of the project.  Construction is expected to commence within 60 to 90 days after bidding.”

  Uh, that was like two years ago! In addition, a recent newspaper article which was published on February 1, 2013 in the Branson TriLakes News indicated they were only ‘roughly 30% through the easement process’! (At that rate, one has to wonder if this project, which started in 2008, will see completion prior to the end of the current decade). Out of curiosity, I did try checking the calendar they used to maintain on their site, but that too has been removed!

So, when I recently received paperwork in the mail asking me to sign over my land rights to the GRA so they could establish both a temporary construction and permanent easements, I already had a few questions. For one thing, after inspecting a aerial map they sent me, I took note of the fact that the placement of the property lines appear to lie over and occlude the same land easements that the Corps of Engineers maintain. Did they get an easement signed that covered this Federal easement? I don’t know.

Another question that arose in my mind concerns the sewer line branch that enters my property. After looking at the aerial map they sent, it appears to be 20 feet off to the west of where it should be to put it in line with the sewer connection to the house! Now, while I’m certainly no engineer - that just seems wrong somehow.

Finally, and justifiably so, other residents that live on the same street as myself are wondering what will happen when this group begins trenching. To my uneducated eye, it appears as though they plan to dig somewhere along the road that goes in front of my house. On one side exists a water utility easement and on the other are power lines. So, where is that trench going to go? (As a side note, it would be great if they could replace the aging water delivery infrastructure while they're doing all this).

Like I said, I have a lot of questions as do most of the neighbors I’ve talked with. To that end, I called Shawn Berry the Project Manager at (417) 886-7171 to take them up on their promise to come out an meet me to help answer all my questions. I did note that they would prefer to meet with each homeowner on an ‘individual’ basis. I'm looking forward to a re-post after this meeting takes place!

The Junction Bar and Grill is closing!

It was a very sad moment when I learned that Saturday, March the 16^th was to be the last day for a venue that had become very popular with locals living in and around the Kissee Mills Missouri area.

Located at 20333 State Highway 160, the Junction Bar and Grill was a biker friendly watering hole that had been in business for just under a year. I discovered this bar and eatery shortly after it opened back in April of 2012. Their hamburger and fries were one of the best in the area. Popular also, was Taco Tuesday where Taco’s at under a buck were favorites to eat by people like myself.

But, what made the 'Junction experience' visit so great was the owner and proprietor, Mike Osterday. His easy smile, fast service and friendly attitude made going there a true Ozarkian experience. Sadly, with its closing, the area will now be short one good place to eat, drink and socialize.

Mid March River Run Park Update!

Back to back 80F and 74F degree days on March 15th and 16^th motivated me enough to get outside and to check out the state of affairs in River Run Park located just to southeast of the town of Forsyth Missouri. During the late fall and over the winter, much was done by contractors to get the park back into tiptop shape. Included was the replacement of all of the RV power stations that had become rusted to floods from previous years. Also replaced for many of the sites were the water supply lines and outlets to help insure that every campsite has fresh water available to it.

 

And, even though the park doesn’t open until May the 1^st, there were already a few RV’s and one tent camper there to enjoy the early and unseasonably warm weather. I walked around a bit and noticed that the tress that had been planted the previous fall looked good to go. It’ll be interesting watching them bud out once we get into the warmer months.

You can check out the official site for this park at here!