LEADER CLINTON COUNT Y
Thurs., August 17, 2023 |
INSIDE
One Section | 12 pages
Sharing Mecca’s Stories A podcast out of Minnesota shines its light on the history of the community of Mecca. || PAGE A4
Sheriff ’s Activity Report
$1.00 | “Covers Clinton County Like Dew ”
Plattsburg, Lathrop and Gower, Mo.
CITY OF PLATTSBURG
Citizens voice frustrations with City Council Gas rates, budget at the center of growing criticism
by brett adkison leader editor
As confusion and uncertainty continue to cloud the issues surrounding the City of Plattsburg’s natural gas services, the Plattsburg City Council was peppered Monday night with questions and con-
cerns by residents who have grown untrusting of the city. Plattsburg City Administrator Chase Waggoner aimed to clear some of the confusion around the natural gas rates immediately on Monday, August 14, giving the crowd an explanation of the city’s
ongoing efforts to untangle its fee structure and find the right answer for its customers. Waggoner explained that, sometime in the last two years, the city’s billing formula for natural gas fell out of whack, and the city had been under-billing for at least
FEELING LIKE FALL
See what calls were dispatched through the county’s sheriff ’s office this week. || PAGE A3
Stepping back in time
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VOL. 128, NO. 42
EAST BUCHANAN
With levy approved, looking ahead at new EBMS leader editor
Community........A5 Opinion..............A4 Legals..............A10 Sheriff...............A3
Est. 1895
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by brett adkison
See what was making news in The Leader 10, 20 and 30 years ago. || PAGE A3
THE LEADER
a year, perhaps even longer. With less revenues, the gas fund fell into a deep hole. He said the gas fund had lost money for three-straight years, culminating with a negative balance of $278,000 at the end of the last fiscal year (ending June
It’s mid-August, school is nearly back in session, and that can mean just one thing - it’s almost time for Friday night lights! Football teams at East Buchanan, Lathrop and Plattsburg have spent the summer preparing for the 2023 campaign, especially in Gower, where the Bulldogs seek to defend their back-to-back state championships. For more on all three schools, see The Leader’s football preview next week in the Green Hills Shopper; then later this month, see our full fall sports preview here in The Leader.
SCHOOLS
Lathrop R-II sets annual tax levy by brett adkison leader editor
The Lathrop R-II Board of Education approved the district’s tax levy for the new year last Wednesday, August 9, and like many schools, Lathrop will benefit from a considerable bump in assessed value. The board approved the
overall levy at $5.3625 per $100 assessed value Wednesday. That includes a $4.39 levy for the incidental fund (general operations) and a $0.9725 levy for debt service. The overall levy is projected to generate $4.59 million in local revenues this year. The levy is slightly up from last year, which was $5.3478 per
$100 assessed value. The district’s assessed value grew by nearly $5 million this year, going up to $85.7 million compared to $80.9 million the year before. Of that increase, $1.96 million came through new construction and improvements. By again approving the debt||Continued on A2
Now that voters have signed off on a new middle school building in Gower, leaders at East Buchanan can set their eyes on making it a reality. Last Tuesday, August 8, voters approved the 65-cent levy increase to fund the new East Buchanan Middle School, which is expected to relocate from Easton when the building is ready in fall 2025. The new building is projected to cost upwards of $16 million. As of now, the district intends to build on school-owned property it owns west of Fourth Street just inside Buchanan County. Superintendent Dr. John Newell said he was pleased with turnout and outcome of the election, stating he believes this was a big step forward for the district and its ability to provide high-quality facilities for its students. “Now the important work of making sure that we get the best design and quality for our building will be key,” he said. “The first element of this will be getting additional feedback from stakeholders that will go into the final design of the building. Although we are very excited that the levy passed with over 60-percent ‘yes’ votes, we also honor the 40 percent who voted ‘no.’ “Now that the election is over, it is important to remember that we are all East Buchanan, and regardless of how someone voted, we want ||Continued on A7