The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

Carthage, Jasper County

Discussion

June 21, 2009

Decreased spending projected in Carthage in city, school budgets

By Susan Redden

sredden@joplinglobe.com

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Spending is projected to decrease by the Carthage R-9 School District and by the city of Carthage, based on budgets to be adopted this week.

For both the school district and the city, the budget year starts July 1.

Total expenditures are estimated at $44.2 million in the preliminary budget to be considered tonight by the Carthage R-9 School Board.

The Carthage City Council on Tuesday is to give final consideration to a budget that sets total city spending at $10.4 million.

School district expenditures will be down from the current year’s spending of $56 million, which included $13.6 million toward construction of a new Carthage High School.

The budget projects no change in the property-tax rate, at 3.58 per $100 assessed valuation, but estimates that the assessed value of property in the district will be up about 2.5 percent, to $287 million.

The budget reflects small spending increases in the teachers fund and operating fund, estimated at $21.3 million and $12.9 million, respectively. Spending is to decline to $3.3 million in the debt-service fund and to $6.6 million in the capital-projects fund.

Spending also reflects a 1.1 percent increase in salary increments for teachers, and administrative and support staff, and a 17 percent increase in health-insurance costs.

The proposed Carthage city budget projects no pay raises for city workers.

The proposal sets total city spending at $10.4 million, with spending in the general fund that finances most city operations estimated at $7.8 million. Those figures compare with the current year’s adopted budget that set total spending at $11.7 million and general-fund expenditures at $8.7 million.

The Carthage council on Tuesday also will consider a number of contracts for services for the city to be adopted as part of the budget.

Among the items on the school board agenda tonight are progress reports on work to renovate the old high school for use as a junior high, and to construct a new vocational-technical school.





Meetings



The Carthage R-9 School Board will meet at 6 p.m. today at Fairview Elementary School. The Carthage City Council will meet at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.

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