HERMANN —  With several line items already depleted or about to be out of budgeted funds, Gasconade County administrators are being urged to cast a sharp eye toward the county’s Road Department budget for 2023.

County Clerk Lesa Lietzow Thursday morning pointed out to the County Commission that the road agency has depleted its budgeted amounts for diesel and general supplies and is expected to be over its budgeted amount for chip-and-seal projects.

Overall, the overruns in the various line items aren’t a serious problem because the total budget of the Road Department easily can accommodate them. However, for accounting purposes, spending out of the various line items should be closer to the budgeted amounts.

“You’ve been hitting road-and-bridge pretty really hard,” Lietzow told the Commission, referring to expenditures this year on highway and bridge projects, as well as equipment purchases for the agency. She said the administrators should pay close attention to the agency’s spending plan when they consider a budget for the agency later this year.

Indeed, the County Clerk’s Office will begin gathering budget wishlists from the various county government departments in November with Lietzow’s staff crunching the numbers in November and December, comparing requested expenditures with projected revenues. As the county’s chief budget officer, Lietzow will present a proposed spending plan to the Commission, which in January will further distill the requests and make any changes to the final proposed budget. Approval of a new budget usually takes place in late January.

In other matters taken up at last Thursday’s session, the Commission, which saw Southern District Associate Commissioner Jerry Lairmore, R-Owensville, acting at presiding commissioner in the absence of Larry Miskel, R-Hermann, alongside Northern District Associate Commissioner Jim Holland, R-Hermann, heard that the process of collecting and distributing the new law enforcement sales tax was almost in place. The only missing piece as of last Thursday (Sept. 15) was the signed copy of the intergovernmental agreement between the county and the city of Hermann.

The Hermann Board of Aldermen was scheduled to give final approval to the agreement on Monday, Sept. 12, but the document had yet to be delivered to the County Clerk’s Office. All four other municipalities in the county receiving a share of the sales tax money have delivered the agreements to the courthouse.

Under the plan approved by Gasconade County voters in April, the half-cent sales tax for law enforcement will be split 75-25 between the county and the five cities in the county that have a certified law enforcement officer on duty. Those cities are Owensville, Hermann, Rosebud, Bland and Gasconade. The cities will receive a share of the 25 percent based on their populations.

The tax becomes effective Oct. 1 with the first reimbursement couple checks (in November and December) from the Missouri Department of Revenue expected to be small while retailers become familiar with including the law enforcement into their roster of local sales tax rates.

Based on initial estimates from county government officials pointing to other sales taxes, the law enforcement sales tax could generate as much as $1 million a year.

Marie Newell, a recipient of a portion of the first round of allocations of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money outlined her proposed use of the funding. Newell said the money will be used to develop and offer training for entrepreneurs looking to begin online businesses. 

“We’re looking to expand into a workforce training” program, she said, noting that she wants to start on a small scale, with only a few clients, and work into serving a wider audience.

“Eventually, the course will be open to anybody” online, she said. A condition of receiving the funds is that her clients must live in Gasconade County. Newell said her aim is to serve women business owners and other disadvantaged people looking to start their own businesses. She said she would be sending notices soon to potential clients.

Regarding the second round of ARPA funding allocations, the Commission is tentatively scheduled to meet with staff of Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) early next month to consider the applications for a share of the second round of $1.4 million received by Gasconade County. At last report, MRPC had received about 14 requests for funding.

Also, Holland offered a reminder that the area’s Solid Waste Management District has money available for programs aimed at increasing recycling. The money is available, through applications, for a variety of activities.

“It can be a school; it can be a church; it can be anything,” Holland said. “These are grants. You don’t have to pay it back.” 

Miskel is scheduled to attend this week’s session, Lietzow said, but only for a brief period. 

She said business will need to be conducted quickly because the presiding commissioner is scheduled to leave the courthouse by 9 a.m. — a half-hour after the start of the weekly session.