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THURS., APRIL 11, 2024
REPUBLICAN-TIMES “GOD BLESS AMERICA”
Old Glory flying at Five Points
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Established Sept. 4, 1864 - 160th Year - No. 32
County 911 System Lags in Installation
Briefs... Democrats to Select Delegates
Grundy County Democrats will begin the delegate selection process to officially nominate the Democratic candidate for President at a mass meeting Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. in the Grundy County Courthouse first floor Auxiliary Court Room. Two delegates and alternates will be elected to attend the 6th Congressional District Convention on May 9 in Marceline and the State Convention on June 22 in Columbia. At the District Convention, delegates will be elected to attend the National Convention, beginning August 19 in Chicago. Also, additional atlarge delegates will be elected at the State Convention to attend the National Convention. To be eligible to be a delegate, you must have voted in the Democratic Presidential Primary on March 23, be registered as a Democrat, either at the County Clerk’s office or the Secretary of State’s web site at: www.sos.mo.gov/elections, and complete a “Statement of Candidacy and Pledge of Support” form that will be available at the meeting to complete to give to the meeting chair. For more information contact Marie Dolan, Democratic Committee Chair.
VFW District Meeting
The VFW District 1 Meeting will be held Saturday, April 13 at 10 a.m. at VFW Post 6278 in Lawson. The meeting will begin with a Memorial Service for deceased members. Please bring a list of deceased members to the meeting. An election for new officers will follow the memorial service. The next district meeting will be July 13 at Princeton VFW Post 7159.
by Mark McLaughlin R-T Staff Writer In June of 2022, Grundy County received the components of a radio “repeater” system designed to cover “911” system cell phone dead spots in the county. The system, known as an analog simulcast radio system, included the hardware and software needed to update communications capability which had been in place for over a decade, and which had demonstrated less than 100 percent reliability in allowing Rural Fire Departments and dispatchers to communicate clearly and effectively in emergency situations. In the summer of 2022, the Commissioners sought an outside audit of the communication system to determine its efficacy. The audit returned findings that led the Commissioners to seek bids on an analog simulcast system, ultimately settling on a Tait radio system and accompanying hardware and software. The hardware/software radio units currently sit in boxes in the IT room of the County Sheriff’s Office and the IT room of the Trenton Police Depart-
R-T Photo/Mark McLaughlin
Shown is a container shed, framed out and outfitted with a steel door, designed to house the Laredo site of the new County 9-1-1 System. Completion awaits a vote by County Commissioners to approve finishing the already appropriated construction.
ment. The boxes show a shipping date of June 2022. The county commissioners voted (2-1) to purchase the system at a price tag of over $600,000, utilizing tax-
payer funds transferred from the county ambulance fund to the “911” fund. The purchase was designed to buy the hardware and software [See 911, Page 2]
R-T Investigation... Reassessment Shortfall Damaging, but Recovery Going Forward (Part 3 in a Series) by Mark McLaughlin R-T Staff Writer Real funding issues exist for school districts due to the lack of a Grundy County tax reassessment last year. County Assessor Nathan Curtis, new to the job in 2022 was faced by the loss of his field assessor in May of that year and then a critical
R-IX Board Reorganizes, Accepts Bus office assistant later the same year. more than 15 percent, is underway and working to balance appraised Bids Able to hire the assistant, training now in order to “close the books” market values with where we’re at was required for her, but the search for field help stalled. The R-T has learned that the process of doing a reassessment should begin one year previous. In other words, the gathering of data, completing market studies, doing physical inspections on values projected to have risen in value by
in September and roll over to 2025. The State Tax Commission has a January 1 to July 1 window in which assessors are evaluating and valuing new construction, in essence dotting I’s and crossing T’s. The lion’s share of the process is done long before that. “We’re doing those studies now,
And so it begins....
R-T Photo/Mark McLaughlin
The new NCMC Student Center construction has begun, with earth moving and “foundation shaping” now underway. The future Dr. Neil and Susanne Nuttall Student Center is scheduled to be completed by summer 2025.
an assessment” Curtis said. “Balancing this out determines whether a taxpayer’s rates go up or down.” This is a tough process, a long, labored, grinding process that Curtis readily admits, he could not do in 2023. “I faced a situation where I de[See Assessor, Page 2]
Council Approves City, TMU Budgets; Denies Wage/Pay Scale by Mark McLaughlin R-T Staff Writer The Trenton City Council met in regular session Monday, April 8 at 7 p.m. at City Hall. Councilmen Tim Meinecke, David Mlika, Duane Urich, John Dolan, Lou Fisher, Calvin Brown, Glen Briggs and Marvin Humphreys were all present. Mayor Jackie Soptic called the meeting to order following the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer led by Pastor Joe McDonald. Motions and seconds were taken to approve minutes of the March 25
meeting, and to pay bills. Both motions carried 8-0. City Administrator Ron Urton reported to the Council that the water reservoir pump station is 97 percent complete and that other work on the contact basin will start soon. Mayor Soptic reported that the NCMC Student Center groundbreaking would be this week, and invited Council members to attend. Soptic shared a “Survey of Rural Challenges” with the Council, looking at challenges to communities, small busi[See Council, Page 3]
by Mark McLaughlin R-T Staff Writer The Trenton R-IX Board of Education met in regular session on Tuesday, April 9 at 5:30 p.m. in the district office. First orders of business were the swearing in of Melissa King and Bill Miller following their election in the April 2 School Board Contest. Challenger Rosie Gray finished a distant third in the race. The Board voted to dissolve, and then to reorganize. Brandon Gibler retained his position as School Board President, Ronda Lickteig was nominated for Vice-President, Melissa King was nominated as Treasurer and Michelle Hixson was nominated as Secretary. MSBA delegates and alternate were held over to the next meeting. The Board heard a report on the Career Ladder [See R-IX, Page 6]