Wednesday, May 8, 2013
The Missouri State Auditor answered questions after his report on Tuesday. Watch the video.
Following a petition for a state audit of the City of Brentwood and the 16-month audit process, State Auditor Tom Schweich presented his findings. Schweich gave Brentwood the lowest possible rating, which prompted some questions. He answered some of them publicly after he went through his report. A lawyer, a mom and Ward 1 Alderwoman Maureen Saunders were among the residents who got to ask a question. Read previous articles surrounding the petition audit of the City of Brentwood:
Friday, December 21, 2012
Alderman Anthony Harper used an extreme example to spark a discussion about proper use of city vehicles.
At the November Brentwood Public Safety Committee meeting, Ward 1 Alderman Anthony Harper protested a city employee taking a city-owned ambulance to a volleyball game at St. Mary Magdalen School. The conversation continued at last night’s Public Safety Committee meeting. Fire Chief Ted Jury said they have no policy on the topic. “When the guys go to these type of events, a school, public event, they’re always in service," he said. "They have the ability to respond from where ever they’re at. Brentwood’s a small town. It’s only two square miles, so they’re never far away from any one place. I don’t think it causes a problem, but that's my opinion.” He said it’s never been brought to him before the issue at Mary Magdalen. Police Chief Steve …
Thursday, December 13, 2012
The Missouri state audit of Brentwood's books has taken longer than originally thought.
Brentwood residents may not need to wait much longer for results of the state audit of the city's books. Missouri State Auditor Media Director Spence Jackson said Wednesday the Brentwood audit will be "ready to go early sometime next year." The audit has taken almost 11 months, when it was originally estimated at five to six. The one-year anniversary of the start of the audit will be Jan. 17. Spence said the length of time has nothing specifically to do with Brentwood. The office has 147 audits to get out this year. "We have a very heavy workload and a small staff to get through all those audits," he said. "We'd rather take a little longer and do a good job and give the community a very thorough audit as apposed to just rushing something …
Friday, December 7, 2012
The Maplewood incumbents were the only ones to file for the seats
The dates for filing to run for election on Maplewood City Council have already opened and closed. The period ran from Oct. 16 to Nov. 20. The only candidates to file were four incumbents. Three Maplewood councilmen and the mayor’s terms expire in April 2013. They are running unopposed for four-year terms. The Maplewood filing period is earlier than Brentwood and many other cities across the state. That's because the city's charter has a provision that if more than two people file for a single office, then a primary election must be held in February, City Manager Marty Corcoran said. Corcoran said the last time he could remember that Maplewood had a primary election was when Mayor Mark Langston ran in 2004. On the Brentwood Board of …
Thursday, October 18, 2012
The president of the Brentwood library board said she has no problem keeping it in the library.
The Brentwood Library board could vote on the contested book, Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, before its next scheduled meeting. Brentwood resident, James Vandervoort, said in the Oct. 15 library board meeting the book is about gay marriage, and wants it removed from the library. Board president Sheila Lenkman said library director Vicki Woods suggested an early email vote, but Lenkman said not enough of the board has weighed in to know if that could happen. The next scheduled meeting is Nov. 12. A vote was on the agenda for the Oct. 8 and 15th meetings, but there wasn’t a quorum at either one. Lenkman said she’s in favor of not voting early. “We had two people say that they thought we should just stick with the date, because it looks suspicious …
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Brentwood Library Director Vicki Woods said nobody in the city had experience with raising the library tax rate, and there was lots of confusion.
Brentwood Library Director Vicki Woods, at Patch’s request, made an attempt to clarify some of the confusion around the library tax rate, the Hancock amendment and the vote, which passed. Woods wanted it to be clear that her comments are her interpretation of the laws. “I’m not a lawyer,” she said. “This is how I interpret the statutes.” The Hancock amendment was intended to limit the amount of revenue raised by the state, giving the voters the final say on whether they pay higher taxes. “When housing prices go up, Hancock says that libraries can’t cash in on that,” Woods said. She said the library tax rate has been at 25 cents since 1984, but that rate was only collected in 1984. It went down to 15 cents in 1985, and has been only as high…
Friday, September 21, 2012
They haven't had one until recently because visitors have been so rare. Councilwoman Maureen Saunders spoke at the Sept. 5 emergency meeting, and the board president said it went too long.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
A vote in last night's meeting made it possible to put the discussion on the agenda of a future meeting. Seemayer's pension, when he reaches 60, is what's at stake.
Close to a hundred Brentwood residents were ready for something to go their way at the board of aldermen meeting last night. They got it at the very end, when alderwoman Maureen Saunders made a motion in an almost “oh by the way” fashion, in the meeting at the Brentwood Recreation Center. “And another thing,” she said, after agreeing to a time change for a joint ward meeting, “In listening to the residents, I am going to go ahead and make a motion that this board pursue civil action against Chris Seemayer.” When Seemayer was found guilty last year of embezzling $30,000 from the city of Brentwood to pay gambling debts, he was allowed to resign instead of being fired, making it possible for him to get sick and vacation pay, and receive an …
Monday, September 10, 2012
The meeting tonight will be at the Brentwood Recreation Center at 7 p.m.
A discussion of the future of the Brentwood Recreation Center is the first item on the agenda. At previous meetings, moving the functions of city hall to the rec center were considered. A public hearing on the 2012 property tax rate. A bill to set the tax rate for the 2012 year. A bill to approve the tax rate for 2012 for the public library. A rate of .20 per $100 of assessed valuation was approved by the library board. A bill to set the annual assessment for the sewer lateral repair program at $50. A bill to enter into an easement agreement betwen the city of Brentwood and Postal Properties. A resolution providing for the consumption of beer, wine and liquor, asprovided for in section 3.3.1 of the municipal code. Reports of the committees…
Friday, September 7, 2012
The Hancock amendment had reduced the library tax over the years, which complicated the increase approved by voters in August.
Brentwood residents will pay the tax they were told they would pay when they passed Brentwood’s Proposition L on August 7. That may seem obvious, and right, but getting there wasn't easy. The decision was the result of heated discussions at the Ways and Means Committee meeting Tuesday and a quickly-called library board meeting Wednesday. At issue, was the definition of the rate residents are currently paying. They are paying approximately 15 cents per $100 of valuation, but it could have been more. That’s because the same year Brentwood voters last approved a library tax levy, 1984, the Hancock Amendment went into effect, which rolled back taxes. So while voters approved a 25-cent rate, they never actually paid it. So in August, voters …
Ryan Martin
8:32 pm on Sunday, May 12, 2013
Hi Phil: I don't know what comments you're referring to. Is it the comment on this other article? http://maplewood-brentwood.patch.com/articles/is-a-forensic-audit-needed-kelly-says-no-saunders-says-yes#comments more ›