Kinney

The Sweet Springs Board of Aldermen met Monday, April 14, to swear in newly elected officials and new Mayor Raymond Kinney had to break a tie vote right off the bat.

City Clerk Ronda Nienhueser swore in Kinney to the position of mayor and James Lindemann and Billie Clevenger to positions of aldermen.

Janice Bybee was sworn in as city collector.

The official election results included Kinney, running unopposed, receiving 193 votes; Clevenger, running unopposed, receiving 67 votes; Lindemann receiving 87 votes with contestant, the late Derl Bernard, receiving 28 votes; and Janice Bybee receiving 139 votes for city collector, with Amanda Schlatweiler receiving 77 votes.

Bybee presented the board with a list of taxes to abate. The individuals on the list have moved and there is no forwarding address available.

The taxes are about three to four years old. The amount to be abated is $1,017.82.

If the board agrees to abate the taxes, they will be gone.

They cannot be brought back up if that person is located or decides to move back to the area, like water bills can, Bybee said.

Aldermen Lewis Bybee and Lindemann agreed to abate the taxes.

Alderwomen Clevenger and Vivian Wiley voted "no" to approve abating them.

"We need to find a way to send letter or something to collect," Wiley said. They are getting off scotch free, she said.

Kinney said he would like to see the taxes collected and voted "no" to abating the taxes.

He said after some discussion with the city collector, the board would revisit the subject at a further date.

In other business, the board also discussed hiring options for auditing the city's finances.

Last year, Randall C. Fiene of Concordia did the audit for about $3,500. His company has also done the audit for the past several years.

Fiene did submit a proposal amount, but Nienhueser did not open it because the board needed to decide whether to go with Fiene again or request bids.

In the past, the board has just had Fiene do the audit because when they did take bids for several years he was always the lowest bidder.

"I don't see what it would hurt to see if someone else wants to do it or is cheaper," Alderwoman Clevenger said.

Clevenger asked if they had to bid it out because it exceeded the level price. Nienhueser said it doesn't have to be bid out because it is "professional services."

Clevenger moved to place the audit out for bid and to run the notice in papers in Marshall, Sweet Springs, Sedalia and Concordia.

Alderman Lewis Bybee seconded the motion and all were in favor.

Contact Rachel Harper at marshallcity@socket.net