City negotiates for crime lab funds

Springfield City Council passed a resolution at its Feb. 6 meeting to enter into negotiations with a group of 15 area financial institutions for funding of a proposed city/county crime lab.

Brian Fogle, community development director for Great Southern Bank, presented the idea to city leaders on behalf of 13 area banks at City Council's Jan. 17 luncheon. Since then, two more institutions - Metropolitan National Bank and State Bank of Southwest Missouri - have joined the group.

The plan calls for a contribution of $160,000 from each of the 15 banks in the form of below-market-interest loans to the city and the county. The approximately $2.4 million loan would be interest-only for the first five years and amortized as a standard loan after that.

City Manager Tom Finnie said the next step is to finalize details for the long-term debt; he said that though the city hopes to be able to pay off the loan during the initial five-year interest-only period, a long-term loan still must be in place.

Crime lab supporters were well represented at the meeting: Seven county sheriffs were in attendance, along with Greene County Prosecutor Darrell Moore, Republic Chief of Police Mark Lowe, Republic Mayor Jim Collins and the three Greene County commissioners.

Mary Norman, widow of murder victim Rick Norman, also was on hand to show her support. Her brother-in-law was convicted of the crime in January. At the meeting, she said she spoke on behalf of all crime victims.

“I waited a year before an arrest could be made,” Norman said. “No one should have to go through that.”

Dale Wagner, a Springfield Public Schools teacher and reserve Police officer, also spoke in favor.

“We need to step forward, do the right thing and solve a pretty complicated problem with what seems to be a pretty simple solution,” Wagner said.

The banks' idea was proposed after voters rejected the Community Safety Initiative in November, which would have provided about $3 million over a five-year period for renovation of the L.E. Cox Building, 440 E. Tampa.

One person, Missouri State University student Crystal Ruyle, spoke against the proposal, saying that the people had voted no in November and the council should honor those wishes.

Council members, however, presented more than 300 e-mails and phone calls from citizens, and more than 90 percent indicated they were in favor of the banks' offer.

Banks in the Mix

The 15 banks offering crime lab financing:

Bank of America

Citizens National Bank

Commerce Bank

Countryside Bank

Empire Bank

Great Southern Bank

Guaranty Bank

Liberty Bank

Metropolitan National Bank*

Mid-Missouri Bank

The Signature Bank

State Bank of Southwest Missouri*

UMB Bank

US Bank

Village Bank

* Newest banks to join the proposal.

Sales tax holiday

For the third straight year, certain purchases in Springfield are going to be a little less expensive for three days this August. But the savings might not be as big in Springfield as they'll be in other cities.

In 2004, the state of Missouri passed legislation creating a sales tax holiday, beginning the first Friday in August and lasting through the following Sunday.

City Council is considering a resolution to opt out of this year's moratorium, slated for Aug. 4-6. State legislation gives local taxing jurisdictions the opportunity to choose whether to contribute their sales tax revenues. Springfield, which charges 1.375 percent in sales tax, has opted out every year.

City Finance Director Mary Mannix Decker said the city believes that the holiday has little impact on revenue in the long run.

“It's like we've said in the past, we feel that the sales tax holiday affects the timing of purchases but doesn't really impact the decision whether or not to buy,” Decker said.

While Decker said it's difficult to determine how much of the city's sales tax comes from purchases of eligible items, she said that sales tax on purchases made in August 2005 brought in about $3 million for the city. Based on those sales, the city would lose as much as $300,000 during the sales tax holiday.

While the sales tax reprieve will still apply to the 4.225 percent charged by the state, Greene County has not officially decided whether it will waive its 1 percent sales tax. County Budget Officer Jeff Reinold said county commissioners are waiting to make a decision due in part to a plea from officials at Battlefield Mall, which is in favor of the holiday.

“They were the only ones at the first public hearing we had that actually spoke in favor of it,” Reinold said. “They requested that before we act, we get back together and talk about what their numbers have been. But I don't believe the decision has been made yet.”

Fair Grove and Willard already have chosen to opt out of the program; Ash Grove has opted out in previous years but has not declared for 2006. The city of Battlefield has opted out of the program in the past and plans to again, according to city officials.

Strafford and Republic officials say they will probably participate in the program as they have the past two years.

Missouri statute dictates that jurisdictions wishing to opt out of the holiday must notify the state at least 45 days in advance. This year's deadline is June 20.

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