City pares list to three priorities

Tuesday, January 14, 2003

Instead of a top 10 priority list, the McCook City Council has chosen only three items it would like to see city administration concentrate on -- water, sales tax and community development.

During a special study session Monday night, the council agreed that those three issues would most likely keep City Manager John Bingham and his staff busy over the next 10 months.

The sales tax issue was discussed in an open council meeting for the first time Monday.

Councillor Jerry Reitz said he would like the council to consider asking McCook voters to increase the tax from 1 cent to 1.5 cents. "We're getting $1 million out of the current tax," he said. "We need to reinstate the sales tax and raise it to one-and-a-half. That would give us $1.5 million to help defer the costs of the (former air base land) loan."

"The best way to look at it is this: All the cities that are struggling are getting 1.5 percent to support their cities," Reitz said.

Phil Lyons expressed his frustration with the situation. "Maybe I shouldn't have run for this council, because, like you, this has fallen on my shoulders. It's time to pay the piper and all of the folks responsible for this situation are gone," he told Reitz.

"The fact is, this is going to have to be paid through property taxes," Lyons said. If the sales tax vote passes, then the proceeds can be used to relieve the tax burden on McCook residents, but, Lyons said, a levy for the $1.035 million can not be avoided.

Councilmembers asked Bingham to begin the process necessary to hold a special election on the sales tax issue in May.

Annexation also came into the conversation as part of the discussion on community growth and development. Reitz asked Bingham what it would take to annex certain areas around the McCook city boundaries into the city.

He expressed his concern that the benefits of annexation might not offset the cost to the city.

Bingham told the council his study was nearly complete on the annexation issue, but he had put it on the back burner because he had not received specific direction from the previous council.

"Once annexation comes on the agenda it's like you have a tiger by the tail and you can't let go."

Bingham told the council there are nearly 500 people who could be brought into the city under annexation. "They drive on our city streets. When they dial 911 they get our city ambulance. There's no reason they shouldn't be paying for those privileges."

The council also asked Bingham to continue working toward the solution of McCook's water problems.

Councilman Dick Trail told his fellow councilmembers, "We don't want to drop ongoing projects."

Lyons agreed. "We've got to make do with what we've got. We have to maintain our focus and keep our eye on the ball. When it comes to new projects, we're going to have to say 'that would be nice to see, but someone else is going to have to do it.'"

The council received the final report from Olsson Associates on the Conceptual Level Report on Groundwater Treatment and Wellfield Evaluation Report.

Reitz expressed his concern over different aspects of the report and asked that the Council have the opportunity to meet with the engineering firm to have several questions answered. Bingham said he would try to make arrangements to have a representative available at one of the next two meetings.

City administrators reviewed the 2003-04 budget with the new council and approved a schedule for the development of the 2004-05 budget.

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