| Notes
from City Hall
Fall is just around the corner and that means school is starting, our crews are trying to get a few projects completed before the frost sets in, budget time for the City and elections for Councilmen. Our budget, approved after the Public Hearing Tuesday night, includes a 3% increase in property tax rates which nets the City roughly $4,500, and a $3.00 monthly assessment on each sewer hookup that will go into a dedicated fund for collection system improvements. This fund will be similar to the dedicated fund in the water department that will allow us to start chipping away at the collection system repairs that we can do in-house. This is the most economical way to make improvements to these two systems. There will be 3 Council positions up for election this fall with two of the incumbents not seeking another term. With the progress we have been making around town in the various departments, I am really hoping to keep the momentum going. Being on the Council takes a little more than just attending a monthly meeting; it means taking an interest in your department and being proactive about its’ operation. The Councilors going off of the Board have done this very well and will be difficult to replace. I hope that we can find a few people that care about the Community and how we can continue to improve it that would be willing to step forward and work with us. Please contact me if you are interested and I will answer any questions you may have or offer any assistance you may need. It is truly rewarding when things move forward and people’s needs are being met. We would like to keep that as a tradition in the Community. And speaking of keeping the tradition going, our own Chief of Police Terry Cochran is doing his share. In another life he is Sergeant First Class Cochran who, you’ll recall, returned home last Christmas from a tour in Kuwait. He is currently the Senior Military Fire Officer for the Yakima Training Center, WA. On Thursday, he was summoned to the base at Fort Lewis, WA and honored with the 2004 Department of Defense Military Fire Officer of the Year award. The entirety of the citation document describes an individual who’s “dedication to duty is exemplary” and “can always be counted on to get the job done.” We commend Sergeant Cochran on his accomplishments and thank him for his service to our country and to our community. Respectfully, Denis B. Duman, Mayor |
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