Stark Mayor Jeff Kovacic spoke at Tuesday’s Neosho County Commission meeting voicing concerns over finances for his community. Stark has a population of 67 residents. Kovacic listed the community’s responsibilities to the taxpayers. Valuation in Stark is about $264,000, meaning a mill levied generates about $264. Kovacic said that 99 percent of the town’s tax money goes toward insurance. While some things in the town generate money, the tax money mostly goes to paying other bills, he said. Kovacic asked the commission for a portion of the payment in lieu of taxes from Neosho Ridge Wind. The commission has given some of this money to a number of other entities in the county. “In our community a comparable amount of money would have a double or triple impact that it would in some of the bigger communities,” Kovacic told the commission. “Extra projects and equipment are just not on the table for the revenue that we have without putting undue hardships on our residents.” With the money, the community would be able to maintain roads, city property, community buildings, a ballfield and its waste lagoons. Commissioner Gail Klaassen said she initially thought the commission should contribute to every community in the county. Being in the middle of the county budget sessions, the commissioners were unable to say what they could provide for Stark but that they would have an idea in a month during their next budget session. “Just don’t forget about us,” Kovacic said. “It seemed like when we went through the list it was definitely clear that you forgot that area and that’s why I’m here today.”
Source: www.chanute.com – RSS Results in news,news/* of type article
