BY LAURA SCHIERMEIER

ADVOCATE Staff Writer

lschiermeier@wardpub.com

MARIES COUNTY — At last Thursday’s Maries County Commission meeting, the commissioners noted the county’s sales tax is down about three percent. A larger slide in these important revenues was expected but they noted this may yet come about.

Presiding Commissioner Victor Stratman said the January 2020 revenue of $15,741.50 was the lowest of the first four months of the year. The county received $21,955.46 in January 2019, a decrease of about $6,200. Stratman said that number would reflect December’s county consumer activity.

Treasurer Rhonda Slone said the total sales tax revenue for the first four months of the year totaled $95,563.46 for 2020 compared to $98,258.47 for the same period of time last year. Last year’s total also included interest. Slone said overall, each of the county’s three half-cent sales taxes are down three percent.

The law enforcement sales tax total collection for the first four months of 2020 is $31,640.06, which is down two percent from 2019 when it was $32,481.04.

Use tax was up 11 percent at $48,809.87 in 2020 revenue.

Slone said sales tax revenues can vary as some businesses do not report/pay sales taxes on a monthly basis. Some do it quarterly and Stratman said some report/pay annually. He said February, March and April 2020 sales tax revenues were all higher than the same time in 2019.

“I wonder if our sales tax will be down,” he said. “We may not be as bad as other places with more retail businesses.”

Sheriff Chris Heitman last week said he thinks the coronavirus pandemic that has caused many people to stay at home means more people are shopping locally. The grocery stores and Dollar General stores have certainly been very busy. With people staying at home, they don’t stop at Walmart in other towns on their way home meaning they are keeping more of their dollars local.

Stratman said gasoline taxes will be down and will hurt the county as each of the road districts receives CART revenue, which is based on per gallon gasoline sales.

Stratman said he was talking to a truck driver who has concerns about diesel fuel prices getting high. Diesel is a by product of gasoline and the lack of storage space may limit the amount of diesel fuel that is refined and they may run out. Stratman said most all farm equipment uses diesel fuel and the trucking industry as well. At refineries the primary objective is gasoline.

Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel said the CART money for the road districts will be way down. “Times are hard and we’re getting sued on top of that.”

Getting Sued

Stratman said he received a phone call from Ron Calzone that morning, asking him if Calzone could attend the county commission meeting. Stratman said he told him the courthouse was still closed and invited him to call in and be part of the meeting. He said Calzone said he didn’t think that would satisfy the Sunshine Law.

The commissioners had little to say about the declaratory judgment lawsuit filed by Ron and Anne Calzone against the county. They did mention that Calzone maybe one time came to a county commission meeting but that’s it. They didn’t want to talk about any pending litigation, which is proper and standard procedure. Stratman did say when he was served for the lawsuit it was a first time for him, but he was expecting it.

At about 9:30 a.m. the commissioners met with Prosecuting Attorney Tony Skouby about the lawsuit. Skouby said they had law day with Judge Beger via phone and it was not easy. Someone had a screaming kid and finally the judge told whomever it was to hang up their phone.

Following the executive session, Stratman said they will be putting an advertisement in the newspaper about the county providing all citizens with access to the commission meetings via electronic means.

Closed for now

Stratman said Jessica Crum of Eagle Fitness, the gym and fitness provider in Vienna, had contacted him about when they could reopen. At the request of the Phelps-Maries Health Department Director Ashley Wann the commissioners added fitness gyms and public playground areas to the list of places that should remain closed. This was stricter than the governor’s directive for the state.

County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers said the governor said the state will be reopened in phases and they will know what they are next week. Stratman said he thinks they need to keep the order in place for now and rely on the governor for direction next week. He said the courthouse will remain closed at least until May 4.

CARES Act

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by Congress in March and signed by the president. According to the treasury department, the CARES Act provides fast and direct economic assistance for American workers, families and small businesses and preserves jobs. It also provides for payments to state, local and tribal governments navigating the impact of the virus.

The commissioners listened to a voice mail left by the Missouri Treasurer’s office said the state will have CARES funding available on May 6 and the sign-up for the funds begins May 1.

Stratman asked if this is something the county should pursue. “If we can do it, I think so, but not if we’re competing with businesses.” He wondered if “this is a different pot of money” and what small businesses were using, but it ran out.

Western District Commissioner Ed Fagre said they can get information and “see where we are at.” Drewel said it won’t hurt to find out.

Buildings and Grounds

Stratman reported Soloman Boiler, the company that does the annual inspection of the courthouse boiler will be here next week. It costs $950, which seems excessive, but two men will be at the courthouse all day. They will drain the boiler and test all of the pumps.

The county received $5,435.89 from MoDOT in reimbursement of expenses on the BRO bridge replacement project that is still in the engineering stage. The bridge to be replaced is in Road One on MCR 608.

The county received $240 from the Historical Society of Maries County, a donation of thanks for use of the room in the basement for the research room. Fagre said he thinks the research room is a good deal. Stratman agreed, saying it is a service to the community. He mentioned how the Vienna FFA members used it to gather information about their chapter.

Stratman reminded citizens to fill out the census and be counted. If they didn’t receive something in the mail, it’s easy to go online and do it.

People who have a vehicle with a diesel engine can go online and sign up for the VW Trust if they are looking to replace it. It’s not tax money, but fine money as the company was fined for cheating on emission standards.

The courthouse custodian moved the table and benches of the outside smoking area away from the outside of the assessor’s office at the east courthouse door. It was moved to near the south entrance at the back of the courthouse.

Stratman said someone called him about the benches on the courthouse’s front porch they previously were going to replace but decided to paint them instead. The caller did not know who made them, but said they thought they used to be outside of the upstairs courtroom until the elevator was put in then the benches were moved to the front porch.

At the commission meeting on April 20, the price of crude oil was sinking quickly, and eventually moved into negative territory as the coronavirus pandemic sapped about a third of the global demand. However, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the U.S. benchmark, as of April 23, gained back 57 percent to $18.24 per barrel. The price had fallen 70 percent to a historic low.

Fagre said people were planning a rally at the capitol in Jefferson City the following day in protest of the governor’s stay at home order. The protesters were asked to maintain the social/physical distancing protocol of six feet away from others. Fagre said in some places, nurses were blocking and protests as they are on the front line of the coronavirus fight and putting their very lives on the line.

Sheriff’s Deputy David Hutchison, who serves papers for the sheriff, said he’s still doing this but it has become harder because of the coronavirus. He said he does not go into anyone’s home now and he keeps a distance from people. If they approach him, he asks them to stay six feet away and tells them, “It’s for your benefit.” Then he lays it down.

Fagre is one of the Maries R-1 bus drivers who is helping deliver food to district students who have signed up. He said it’s mostly sandwiches and the kids seem to like it. Rodgers said at Maries R-2 the people have to pick it up. It was mentioned the jail received milk from the schools rather than let it go bad.

Stratman said they found some more interesting things inside the old, 1932 building they are tearing down. There was a postcard from Brinktown Farmers Mutual Insurance with an annual assessment of $1.27. There was information about the company’s paying out $40 to J. B. Stratman in 1916 for fire damage; $20 to a Yoakum, $60 to a Hollis for lightning striking cattle, and $7.25 to W.E. Hayes for a fire in 1917. There was a 1932 Firestone Tire catalog with a tire special of $4.65 per tire but you had to buy two of them.