Working together for weather warnings
A couple of weeks ago, a warning siren in the neighborhood went off around 10 a.m. — a false alarm, as it turned out. The next day, the countywide network of sirens was successfully tested. Cruising into another severe storm season, which in Missouri peaks in May, brings us around to another discussion of preparedness […]
Season of Columbia Public Schools celebrations
There are many reasons to celebrate this month. Spring arrived early, the Tigers had an amazing basketball season, and the students and staff of Columbia Public Schools are winning awards. Columbia Public Schools is the eighth largest school district in the state, with more than 17,700 students and 2,600 staff members. The collective talent of […]
Missouri’s economic recovery is on — barely
The data are accumulating and the trend is clear — the state and local economy are recovering. Sometimes it does not feel like it as everyone’s circle of acquaintances continues to have an unusual number of people unemployed or they are taking jobs just to have something. It is a good time to take stock. […]
Tax breaks benefit small-business owners
As regional administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, I travel throughout Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska to meet with small-business owners. I find that, unfortunately, not all of them are fully informed about tax cuts they could be claiming this year. Many small-business owners don’t realize that President Barack Obama has already signed into […]
Tips for winning government contracts
Can you imagine your small business providing that key product or service to the U.S. Department of Navy, the Environmental Protection Agency or the Department of Agriculture? It could be a reality. The federal government spends more than $500 billion a year in contracts, making it the largest purchaser of goods in the world. Small […]
Bond, levy to address increasing enrollments
Members of the Columbia Public School District Board of Education voted unanimously to place both a levy increase and a bond issue with a debt service increase before the voters on April 3. A 40-cent levy increase is proposed for school district operations and would provide $8 million in local revenue. A $50 million bond […]
EEZ creates unease over city’s growth
Blight … enhanced enterprise zones … 50 percent property tax abatement … eminent domain … Susette Kelo — all of these have been swirling around Columbia and stirring up our latest fiery controversy. This comes after talk of designating more than half of the city as a so-called “enhanced enterprise zone” (EEZ) qualifying the development […]
Audits recognize CPS’ fiscal responsibility
Developing a budget requires focusing on organizational vision and prioritizing resources. Managing a budget requires rigorous control standards to account for revenues and expenditures. Organizations that consistently develop and manage budgets build a culture of high expectations and trust with the stakeholders. Transparency and accuracy are the hallmarks of resource management. Columbia Public Schools is […]
New year brings new service initiatives
In my October 2011 budget message, I outlined areas of service improvements that the City of Columbia would begin to address in fiscal year 2012 with the goal of implementation by fiscal year 2013. Thanks to the support of City Council and staff, progress is occurring at City Hall. Our 2011 citizen survey showed our […]
Time to push the pedal for motor fuel tax?
So, what did you pay for a gallon of gas today? Was it $2.99 … or maybe $3.05? Perhaps it was $3.09? Were you shocked at having to pay $3.16? In disgust, maybe you drove out of town and paid just $2.95 a gallon — only to find your price “savings” eaten away by the […]
Columbia Airport: Time to throttle up
Many of us were surprised a few weeks ago when Mayor Bob McDavid blew the warning trumpet about the future of service at Columbia Regional Airport. If we had been paying attention to the airport, we wouldn’t have been surprised at McDavid’s statement. By now you’ve heard plenty about its inadequacies and how scheduled airline […]
Boone County’s growing transportation network
There are approximately 840 miles of roads that Boone County must maintain. This daunting task, funded by a sales tax initiative, consumes a large percentage of the county’s budget. One difficult question to answer is how to use these funds as effectively as possible to protect our transportation network. There are five different surface types […]