3rd time is a charm: Trenton/TMU Budgets pass at Noon council meeting

Trenton, Missouri sign at entrance to city
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It only took about five minutes for the Trenton City Council to adopt ordinances authorizing fiscal year budgets for the city and Trenton Municipal Utilities.

The budgets outline the revenues anticipated and expenditures projected to carry both the city and TMU through the new fiscal year that ends April 30 of 2018.

The 12-Noon special council meeting was attended by all eight council members, the mayor, and other city officials. It was the third time the city council had gone through the process of approving budgets; only to have them vetoed on two previous occasions by Mayor Nick McHargue.

The proposed budgets presented again today were the same as previously developed by the councils’ finance committee and the city administrator. There are no raises this time for city employees—other than the city absorbing the increase for employee health insurance. The budgets also earmark $20,000 from the city and $20,000 from TMU to go toward economic development.

The vote on the city of Trenton budget was seven in favor and one opposed.

Casting favorable votes were Travis Elbert, David Mlika, Larry Crawford, Jennifer Hottes Urich, Glen Briggs, Allan Quilty and Larry Porter. Opposed was Brad Chumbley.

Approval of the TMU budget came on a six to two count. In favor were Elbert, Mlika, Crawford, Hottes-Urich, Briggs, and Quilty. Opposed were Porter and Chumbley.

Right after the city council votes, Mayor Nick McHargue simply said: “Here they are, they’re signed.” He was referring to the two ordinances that allow for the budgets to be enacted. The mayor then called for adjournment as the budgets were the only items on the agenda.

With all eight council members present, and the budgets adopted by votes of seven to one; and six to two; it was apparent that if the Mayor had vetoed the budgets, the council would have overridden the Mayor as, by city policy, it takes at least six votes to enact an override. Doctor McHargue had previously voiced his opposition to the budgets having $40,000 for a new economic development group.

Those new budgets still include the money for economic development – matching the dollar commitment made earlier in the year by the Grundy County Commission.

The only statement came at the start of the meeting, it was from Councilman Travis Elbert who was on the finance committee prior to the April 4th election.

Elbert stated that without having a budget, it creates uncertainty among city employees, jeopardizes public confidence in the council, puts debt payments and the bond rating at risk, and means no capital projects can begin like the 17th street bridge replacement and the disinfection project at the waste water plant.

Elbert thanked the mayor for signing the budgets – adding both the city and TMU have something to gain from economic development efforts.


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