Maries County Road District to receive disaster money for 2017 rain event

By Laura Schiermeier, Staff Writer
Posted 11/13/19

MARIES COUNTY — Western District Commissioner Ed Fagre recently received correspondence from SEMA informing him that Road One will receive FEMA revenue for road repairs the road district made …

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Maries County Road District to receive disaster money for 2017 rain event

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MARIES COUNTY — Western District Commissioner Ed Fagre recently received correspondence from SEMA informing him that Road One will receive FEMA revenue for road repairs the road district made after a declared disaster event in 2017.

Fagre said the money, which totals $83,983.68, represents 75% of the disaster assistance Road One will receive for a large project, which is two bundles of road projects repaired after a large rain event in 2017. FEMA picks up 75% of the costs if a disaster is declared, which it was in 2017, and SEMA provides 10% of the funding and the county pays for the remainder of the road work expenses.

For the most part, Fagre said the work already has been done by the Road One crew. The reimbursement includes payment for materials, labor and equipment used on these projects. Fagre said on one road, the cost for rock alone was $14,000 where they put down rock on a three-mile stretch.

As a veteran commissioner, Fagre has done this before and good documentation is the key to getting disaster money. County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers and Clerk’s Deputy Renee Kottwitz, too, are veterans of the extensive paperwork getting this money requires.

Currently they are working on getting assistance from the damage done by a recent rain. FEMA representatives are questioning a lot of what they submitted. Recently they wanted to see the county’s permit for brown rock. Fagre said they’ve never asked for this before. For years the county has been getting brown rock from county stream banks. They haul it out and screen it at another location and don’t go near the water.

Earthquake insurance

At a recent county commission meeting when Jennifer Gerling, the county’s insurance agent for liability, property, vehicles and equipment, came to talk to the commissioners about ways to lower next year’s premium. One of the questions they had is whether or not the county’s policy includes earthquake coverage for the courthouse. Even though they are looking at ways to save money by significantly increasing deductibles, Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel said they need to be properly insured on the courthouse because in the event of an earthquake, damage to the building would be big and costly. The county’s annual premium increased by $13,000 to $98,552.

Gerling contacted the county clerk’s office and reported the county has earthquake insurance, and the deductible is $25,000 per occurrence.

Down two percent

Treasurer Rhonda Slone reported sales tax receipts for all of the county’s sales taxes is trending down by two percent. The county has three sales taxes which bring in from $19,000 to $27,000 each month, depending upon consumer activity in the county. Also down are the law enforcement sales tax and the use tax revenues.

Slone reported revenue received in October for one sales tax was $22,975.67. Total sales tax received thus far in 2019 from one half-cent sales tax is $247,787.77. This compares to the same period of time in 2018 when that sales tax generated $252,458.49.

This sales tax was above the 2018 revenue figures in April, September, and October, with the rest of the months the tax trended slightly downward in receipts.

The law enforcement sales tax was down two percent also with 2019 revenue thus far of $81,812.68. In 2018 for the same period of time, revenue was $83,372.05.

The major factor in sales tax is consumer spending at Maries County businesses. Online buying is convenient for consumers but it does not help pay for county and city governments. The old saying, “Buy local” definitely helps small business owners in the Maries County communities and it helps local governments.