Lately there have been major concerns about the condition of our streets. That the streets are in bad shape around our community. I would agree with you that some of our streets need major repair work. First let me say we are working on this situation and unfortunately it does take time and money to make the necessary repairs. The street department is working on fixing potholes around town that are the city’s responsibility. Will continue working on them through the spring and summer. If you feel that there is a pothole that has not received the proper attention please contact city hall or go to our website and fill out a citizens request form https://www.cityofbutlermo.com/1376/Contact-Us.
In the upcoming budget city council has allocated $700,000.00 to a street project this year. I know this will not fix every street in the city or even begin to fix many of the streets. Due to the cost of these street projects, we are only able to do one every two to three years. We must save money in order to have the funds to bid out the project. We do not have the crew to go in and do the major repairs that are required on the streets. The other issue we face is making sure the water and sewer lines are in good condition under the street first before we overlay the street. It will not do us any good to overlay a street and then go in and tear a brand-new street up to fix water and sewer lines. So, we are also working on trying to replace those lines along with the Lead & Copper mandate that came down from the federal government before we repair a street.
The other topic I would like to talk about is the Fire Protection Sales Tax increase. This is not a new tax to the citizens of Butler it was established in 2007 and was approved by the voters again in 2012. We are asking the voters to approve the tax once again and increase the amount from 1/8 cent to a1/2 cent. These funds can only be used to help our local firefighters and fire department, it cannot be spent on anything else for the city. Last year this tax brought in $112,349.00 with the increase it would bring in additional $300,000.00. This money would go towards equipment, vehicles, bunker gear, and personnel. These items are ongoing and need continuous funding. We would not be proposing this increase if it was not necessary. No one likes to have their taxes increased, but this fund is critical to keep our fire department running at a high level. Butler Fire Department not only answers calls here in the community, but in the county, provides mutual aid for other cities, and assists Bates Count Memorial Hospital with medical calls. I would encourage all residents to consider this increase and know we are looking towards the future with public safety and keeping our community safe.
The last comment I have is about economic development and looking at attracting new businesses and retaining our current businesses. Economics are very important to our community, and it is the catalyst of how we function. We are working every day to find ways to expand here in Butler. We are partnering with Missouri Partnership to help locate new manufacturing businesses to be a part of our community. We are also working on a retention package for our current business that we have. We are taking steps to build a better economic community in return and help our tax revenue to lessen the burden on the citizens. This again takes time, but we are moving in the right direction and hopefully very soon we will have some exciting news to share about potential growth.
Sincerely, Butler City Administrator, Corey Snead
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