Gasconade County government officials are continuing to be surprised by the amount of money being generated by the Use Tax, a source of funds that has yet to be tapped to help pay for operations.

“That’s unencumbered money coming in,” noted County Treasurer Mike Feagan at last week’s session of the County Commission.

Northern District Associate Commissioner Jim Holland, R-Hermann, said the Use Tax, at its current pace, should produce a sizeable amount of revenue.

“We’ll be over” $300,000 for the year, he said.

Feagan added that in discussions with fellow county treasurers he hears concerns about decreasing general sales tax revenue. That’s not a problem here, he said. Indeed, the county’s half-cent General Fund sales tax has raised record amounts in the past three years. Four months into this year, the revenue is running ahead of last year’s amount, possibly setting the stage for a fourth straight record year.

The latest General Fund sales tax, Use Tax and Law Enforcement sales tax figures could be presented at tomorrow’s Commission session.

As Feagan mentioned, the Use Tax dollars are unencumbered, meaning they haven’t been figured into the operating budget and appropriated for specific use. That’s money that could provide a good cushion at year’s end if the General Fund sales tax should take a substantial dip.

Meanwhile, Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann, is excited about adding a new piece of equipment to the county’s Road Department inventory — a Road Groom, which is pulled by a pickup truck and tears up rough areas such as potholes and washboards on the gravel roads.

“Are you guys ready to pull the plug on this?” and purchase the equipment, he asked the associate commissioners. “I am,” he added.

Southern District Associate Commissioner Jerry Lairmore, R-Owensville, agreed. “I don’t think it will be the solution to all our problems, but I think it will be a big help to the Road Department,” he said.

Holland supports acquiring the Road Groom, but he wishes the county would get the larger version.

“I prefer the 13-footer but that’s OK. I think it’s going to be very beneficial for the Road Department and it’s going to save us some time,” he said.

The commissioners also think it can help save money, as in the money spent almost each year to purchase a road grader. By sending out the Road Groom, rather than a grader, to deal with specific problem areas, the county should see less wear and tear on the graders, allowing them to be used more hours before being replaced.

A decision by the Commission could be close to being made regarding the proposed elevator in the courthouse. As the project now stands, it appears the lift would be constructed inside the courthouse just to the right of the main (south side) entrance. Schulte is looking to keep the space needed for an elevator to a minimum. “I want a small one, the smallest we can get,” the presiding commissioner said. Earlier discussions by county administrators indicated they favored an elevator that would carry no more than four passengers at a time.

One aspect of the proposed project that seems to have been decided is that the lift will not be attached to the outside of the building, as originally envisioned.

“I am not for putting it on the exterior of the building,” Schulte said. “It’s an historic building.”