#269

March 2008

TRAGEDY IN KIRKWOOD … The MML Board and staff join city officials throughout Missouri in mourning the loss of our Kirkwood colleagues. We offer prayers and condolences to the families and friends who lost loved ones. We also are grateful for the recovery of our friend, Mike Swoboda. We will keep you informed of his progress; he has been upgraded to “satisfactory” and moved to a rehabilitation center. In response to our request, we have received city pins from more than 100 municipalities and have mounted them in a display case donated by the city of Joplin for presentation to Mayor Swoboda.

ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL NOT APPEAL FAVORABLE OVERTIME DECISION … Attorney General Jay Nixon announced at the MML Legislative Conference that his office would not appeal the Cole County Circuit Court’s favorable decision that municipalities are exempt from the state minimum wage and overtime law. Missouri municipalities will continue to come under the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act that has special overtime provisions for police and firefighters. Needless to say, the municipal delegates gave him a rousing ovation after the announcement.

DECLINING SALES TAX COLLECTIONS … Statewide sales tax collections have declined 1.7 percent the last three months compared with the same period last year. Statewide collections for January were down 4.7 percent.

LOCAL SALES TAX ELECTIONS … In February, voters approved special purpose sales taxes in St. Louis (public safety) and Marshall (parks). In April, voters will decide additional special purpose sales taxes for capital improvements, parks, and transportation.

MML MUNICIPAL LABOR RELATIONS PUBLICATION … The MML has revised Municipal Labor Relations In Missouri in light of the Missouri Supreme Court decision in Independence NEA v. Independence School District. The publication was written by Ivan Schraeder, of Counsel, The Lowenbaum Partnership and will be a useful guide to city officials who deal with public employee labor issues. The publication is available at League headquarters or e-mail mailto:info@mocities.comto request a copy.

FRINGE BENEFITS PUBLICATION AVAILABLE … League staff recently completed an update of the Fringe Benefits for Missouri Municipalities technical bulletin with comparative information regarding fringe benefits provided to Missouri municipal employees. Data was requested for the following categories: work force, personnel policies, uniform allowances, insurance (health, dental, life, and disability), retirement, holidays, vacation, sick leave, educational incentives, and additional benefits. We appreciate all the municipal officials who participated in the survey. If you would like to receive a copy of this technical bulletin, please contact League headquarters or e-mail info@mocities.com to request a copy.

ELECTED OFFICIALS TRAINING CONFERENCE … For years the MML has conducted a Conference for Newly Elected Officials. This year the Conference has been renamed the Elected Officials Training Conference. This name change is intended to emphasize the fact that the training provided at this Conference should be of interest and use to all municipal officials, not just the newly elected. While the Conference will continue to focus on providing the knowledge base all elected municipal leaders need to govern effectively, the changes that continually occur in the municipal arena make this a Conference that all officials should consider attending. The Conference will be held at the Jefferson City Capitol Plaza Hotel, June 12-13. Registration and agenda information will appear in the April issue of The Missouri Municipal Review, May Newsletter, and will be posted on the League’s Web site.

EOT CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIP … The MML Board of Directors has authorized up to four Elected Officials Training Conference (EOT) scholarships this year. Scholarships are awarded to an elected or appointed official of a municipality that has not sent a delegate to an EOT Conference within the last four years. The scholarship will pay for the Conference registration fee and hotel accommodations, single rate, for the evening of June 12. To be considered for one of the four scholarships, the governing body of an eligible municipality should nominate an elected or appointed official to receive the scholarship. All nominations must be in writing and received by May 9 at League headquarters, 1727 Southridge Dr., Jefferson City, MO 65109.

LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP DINNER MEETINGS … The MML will be conducting a series of Legislative Wrap-Up dinner meetings. The meetings will be held in Columbia (May 21), Independence (May 22), Edina (May 22), Rock Port (May 28), Monett (June 4), and Dexter (June 5). At the meetings, League staff will provide a summary of the events in this year’s General Assembly and explain how the new laws will affect your municipality. This is a great opportunity to meet with your League staff and have questions answered on a face-to-face basis. Your city clerk will receive registration information in the near future.

PERSONAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS DUE … Officials in municipalities with an annul operating budget over $1 million are required to file a personal financial disclosure statement between January 1 and May 1, 2008 with both the Missouri Ethics Commission (PO Box 1370, Jefferson City, MO 65102) and with the city clerk. Most affected municipalities have adopted an ordinance specifying which officials must file reports. These statements are public records and may be viewed by the public. If you have any questions or need copies of the forms, please contact the Commission at 800-293-8660.

LOOKING FOR CPI OR COLA DATA? … Two great sources for all sorts of economic statistics are the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) and the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (www.missourieconomy.org). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the consumer price index for the Midwest rose by 2.65 percent from 2006 to 2007.

DIELMANN APPOINTED TO NLC STEERING COMMITTEE … Creve Coeur Mayor Harold Dielmann has been appointed to the steering committee for the First Tier Suburban Communities Committee. Congratulations, Harold!

GFOA SPRING INSTITUTE … The Government Finance Officers Association of Missouri’s Spring Institute will be held on April 16-18 at the Country Club Hotel and Spa in Lake Ozark. Attendance is open to all municipal officials. The seminar topics will include: governmental budgeting, tax increment financing, performance measurement, GASB 45, identity theft, and a legislative update. Information has been mailed to GFOA members, but is also available on the MML Web site under Events.

“SHOW-ME” YOUR CITY … The MML Review magazine is interested in receiving city profile articles for publication in upcoming issues. City profile articles are usually 2,500 words in length and include topics such as: local history, local government, parks/recreation, economic development, quality of life features, and may focus on a recent improvement or innovative project. If you have someone who enjoys writing and is interested in submitting a city profile article, please contact Katie Bradley at kbradley@mocities.com for more information.