Liberal City Commission Meets, Adopts Budget

The Liberal City Commission met Tuesday night at 6:30pm for their regularly scheduled meeting. Among the items on the agenda was the 2012 Budget for the City of Liberal. The Liberal City Commission voted to approve the budget as presented at $34, 143,100.00. Levied for for 2012 will be 43.118 mills which, with valuations up, is a decrease in the mill levy to the property owners in the city. The commission also approved the purchase of a Roughs mower for Willow Tree Golf Course in the amount of $10,791.40, set a Hearing for condemnation of property at 714 N. Sherman and approved several environmental abatements. Liberal City Commissioners also moved to second readings the Standard Traffic Ordinances and the Uniform Public Offense Codes. This housekeeping item will allow Police Officers to enforce the laws that are on the books. Commissioners approved the acceptance of a grant from the FAA for the design and survey of Runway4/22. Commissioners will meet with the engineers at a Work Session to offer input on the project. The amount of the Phase 1 grant is $337,463.00. The commission also moved to a second reading, Ordinance 4399, which would authorize the City to refinance current General Obligation bonds only if the City can save minimumlly $50,000 on the refinance. The Commission also approved several projects from the One Cent Sales Tax, and they include: Additional residential street lighting, $120,000.00, Mary Frame Park Improvements, $156,300.00, New signage for the West entrance into the City on Highway 54, and directional signage for the Mid-America Air Museum, $50,000.00, and matching funds for runway improvements. $220,000.00 with the FAA portion to be $4,180,000.00. After an Executive Session, the City Commissioners also voted to give City Manager, Mark Hall, a 5% pay raise. The next regular meeting of the Liberal City Commission will be September, 13th, 2011.