How long does it take to spend a whole lot of money? Not long if you’re Gasconade County Treasurer Mike Feagan and you’re doling out property tax revenue to a whole bunch of local government entities.

“We didn’t pay any bills in January and yet I managed to spend $12 million,” Feagan told the County Commission Thursday morning during its regular session held in Owensville City Hall.

Feagan’s comment about the county not paying bills in January refers to the practice of not writing checks until the new year’s operating budget has been approved and the expenditures have been authorized. In 3rd-Class counties, operating budgets have to be approved by the end of January, which allows county government to start paying its bills again the first of February. By comparison, 1st-Class counties, such as Franklin County, must have their new operating budgets in place by the end of the previous year so it becomes effective Jan. 1.

That money represented the allocation of the various taxing entities’ property taxes. By far, the largest chunk of that $12 million was the $8.6 million that was sent to the eight school districts that have some portion of Gasconade County within their district boundaries.

Some of the other significant distributions of tax revenue include $979,182 to Hermann Area District Hospital; $501,797 to fire protection districts; $421,105 to ambulance districts; $472,879 to Scenic Regional Library District.

The Gasconade County Health Department and the Senate Bill 40 Board (Sheltered Workshop) each received their annual allocations of $233,713.

There were two checks written that did not have big numbers: The Morrison Levee District received $329 and East Central College received $2,865.

According to the county’s balance sheet for January, that $12.2-million distribution leaves the county well ahead of where it was this time last year — $8.280 million compared with $6.942 million at the end of January 2025.

County administrators could learn this week how well county government is starting the calendar year regarding its sales taxes. The figures from the Missouri Department of Revenue were not available for Feagan to report at last week’s session.

In other matters, the Commission announced that Deputy County Collector Glenda Shockley would assume the role of interim collector April 1 after longtime Collector Shawn Schlottach leaves the post March 31. The veteran officeholder is resigning her position because of health reasons.

The Collector’s Office is one of the seven county government offices to be filled in this year’s General Elections. Schlottach had announced earlier she would not seek another term; Shockley, the longtime deputy collector, announced her intent to run for the post at last year’s Lincoln Day Dinner.

“We’re going to miss Shawn,” said Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann. “She’s been super,” he said, adding that she is “probably making the right choice” in stepping down to allow her to focus on her recovery from a head injury sustained when she fell from a horse.