The
Common Council of the City of Point Pleasant, a municipal corporation in
Mason County, West Virginia, met in Special Session at the City
Building, 400 Viand Street at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday March 17, 2004.
Council
member J. Glenn Long led Council in prayer. The meeting was called to
order by Mayor James H. Wilson who led the Pledge of Allegiance to the
Flag.
A
Waiver of Notice is attached to this set of minutes. The purpose of the
meeting was to:
1. APPROVE THE 2005-2006 GENERAL AND COAL SEVERANCE FUND LEVY
ESTIMATE (BUDGET) CONTINGENT ON WV STATE AUDITOR APPROVAL.
2. DISCUSS AND TAKE ANY NECESSARY ACTION ON ADDITIONAL LIBRARY
CONTRIBUTION.
The
Mayor turned the meeting over to Finance Director Ron Siders to explain
the proposed budget and answer questions from Council. A lengthy
discussion followed with many questions from Council.
Mr. Siders explained that the figures and suggestions from the
budget workshop were used to prepare the document. He explained that the
document reflected a five-cent increase in the Business and Occupation
Tax Rate, employees’ bearing costs of health insurance increases, a
one-dollar fire fee, a two-dollar residential garbage increase, a
fifty-cent parks fee and a fifty-cent cemetery fee. Mr. Siders explained
that the five-cent raise in the B&O tax rate would generate the
approximate fifty-thousand dollars needed as discussed in the workshop.
Ronald R. Kapp explained that the five-cent raise was not an equal
percentage raise for all businesses and unfair to retailers in
particular.
William
H. Wallace stated for the record that the B&O Tax was repressive to
business and industry and that it was a shame that the State tied the
City’s hands in taxing on gross revenue. After further discussion, it
was decided to raise all B&O rates fifteen percent in all categories
that could be raised. J. Glenn Long made the motion to raise all B&O
Fees that could be raised fifteen percent and include the additional
four dollar municipal fees in the budget document. William H. Wallace
added the second and the changes to the document were approved 5-1 with
M. Leota Sang opposed.
After
the voted upon changes were made to the budget document, Ronald R. Kapp
made a motion to a APPROVE THE 2005-2006 GENERAL AND COAL SEVERANCE FUND
LEVY ESTIMATE (BUDGET) CONTINGENT ON WV STATE AUDITOR APPROVAL. William
H. Wallace added the second and the motion was approved 5-1 with M.
Leota Sang voting against.
After
an in-depth discussion about the health insurance increases, William H.
Wallace made a motion to cap the amount the City pays for health
insurance at the present rate starting in July. The employee would be
responsible for any increases in health insurance and charges related to
tobacco usage. Robert C. Doeffinger added the second and the motion
passed 5-1 with J. Glenn Long voting in opposition.
The
Mayor stated that due to cut-backs in funding from the County, the
library had requested an additional two-thousand dollars in funding for
the present fiscal year. Ronald R. Kapp made a motion to approve the
two-thousand dollars in additional funding and Robert C. Doeffinger
added the second. The funding was unanimously approved.
The
Mayor stated that the audit had been completed and he had sent a letter
to the prosecutor dealing with the findings. Finance Director Ron Siders
stated that the findings were basically the same as every year.
Being
no other business, J. Glenn Long made a motion to adjourn. Robert C.
Doeffinger added the second and being unanimously approved, the meeting
adjourned at 7:15 pm.
_______________________________ James
H.
Wilson,
Mayor
_____________________________Stanton
D.
Burdette,
City
Clerk
|
|
