Local News – Tuesday, August 18th, 2020

The Dent County Commissioners held their tax rate hearing Monday morning at 10:00 at the courthouse. Beth Frizzell and Amanda Sapaugh along with Wes Mobray were present at the public hearing. The General Revenue Fund rate in 2019 that was at $.0295, was reduced to $0.00 by the Hancock Amendment due to the high volume of sales tax money collected so far in 2020. All three commissioners agreed on the rate. The Senate Bill 40 Fund has a current rate of $.1341 and that will be the maximum allowed again this year. Amanda Sapaugh representing the SB 40 board asked to take the maximum allowed at $.1341 and the Commissioners voted 3-0 to accept her request. The Road and Bridge Fund current tax rate is $.2534. Following the state’s calculations of taxes, the maximum rate allowed by the State Auditor went up to $.2549. The Commission approved that rate with a 3-0 vote. The Senior Citizen Service Fund rate for 2019 was $.0477 and the maximum allowable tax rate for 2020 will be $.0480 after the state’s calculations. Beth Frizzell representing their board requested to take the maximum allowable rate of $.0480 and the request was approved by the commissioners unanimously. All the rates presented are per $100 assessed valuation. The hearing was then adjourned.

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the courthouse. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell stated grading was going to be done on Dent County Roads 6370 and 6660. He also said that on Dent County Road 5520, work crews would be rebuilding a portion of that road to keep it from washing out. District 2 work crews also assisted on this rebuilding project with three dump trucks. This project may last all week. Purcell said he would be attending a South Central Missouri Community Action Agency meeting in Winona this evening. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said grading would be done on Dent County Roads 3380, 4480 and 5225 while materials would be added to county road 3370. Larson did add that brush would be cut on county road 3300. Larson went on to say crews would be fixing a hydraulic leak on Grader #32. He also said some low hanging branches would be removed on county road 6160 to allow the school bus to go by without scraping on the branches. Dent County Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles stated he attended the Missouri Association of Counties summer board meeting last Thursday and it was determined the MAC Conference in November will NOT be held. He also attended the Transportation Advisory Committee meeting on Thursday and they were asking counties to already begin identifying their priorities for the next year. Skiles said there was a discussion of a Highway 63 Advanced Transportation Development District that would work on finding funding for the widening of Highway 63 to four lanes from Jefferson City to the Arkansas State Line. Skiles also reported that MRPC has decided to postpone their annual Volunteer Awards and Recognition Banquet in October and it would be rescheduled at a later date. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley stated she balanced with the collector and assessor for all collections, abatements and add-ons for the month of July. She said the last day you can register to vote in the General Election in November will be October 7th and absentee voting for that election will begin September 22nd. At the last meeting, Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk brought in the collector’s July
report that showed $55,198.98 was collected and that the Property Tax Sale would be held on the courthouse steps on Monday morning, August 24th, at 10:00. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors will conduct their August meeting tonight in the hospital library beginning at 6:00. Prior to the regular meeting, the board will hold a public tax hearing starting at 5:45. After approval of the agenda and minutes of the July 21st regular meeting, Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas will report on the summary of the operations for the month of July followed by the Chief of Nursing Report by Debbie Hines. A report on the hospital foundation, plus the marketing and community perception report by Chief Operating Officer Jason Edwards. Lucas will then go over the COVID-19 update and an update on Hospital expansion and renovation. New business will include purchases since the last meeting and FY’22 Finance Committee Report. The board may vote to go into closed session. Due to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, the August meeting of the Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors will be held by telephone/video conference. The meeting is open to anyone to join. For information on how to access the meeting via zoom, please email kbrown@smdh.net or call (573) 729-5917, extension 4005.