County to reroute 180th at Remington

Marion County Commission agreed with Union Pacific Railroad Dec. 31 to reroute a portion of 180th Road at its intersection with Remington Road to reduce the number of railroad crossings from two to one.

Union Pacific agreed to purchase land and pay the county $50,000 to shift a stretch of 180th Road east of Remington Road a bit to the south. The county will be responsible for maintaining the rerouted road. Commissioner Roger Fleming said the change will make the intersection safer.

Sales tax revenue up in 2012

Sales tax receipts — not including the tax to pay for the jail — for October sales were down 12 percent to $46,343, but the total sales tax received in 2012 remained up $7,641, or 1.2 percent.

Sales tax receipts to pay for the jail in 2012 were $579,328, well exceeding the amount needed to make bond payments.

In other business:

• The commission approved a budget amendment for 2012 to include a $256,294 bond payment for the jail.
• Planning and Zoning Director Tonya Richards will purchase a computer for $1,577. Her old computer will be transferred to Noxious Weed Department Director Rollin Schmidt.
• The county’s worker’s compensation insurance premium for 2013 is $86,154. The county had budgeted $115,000. County Clerk Carol Maggard said it would be best to get the budget closer to the actual, but it is better to budget too high than too low.
• Treasurer’s Department employee Susan Berg received a raise from $9.62 to $10.83 per hour for increased duties after County Treasurer Jeannine Bateman met with Maggard and the commission in closed session for 20 minutes.
• Department on Aging Coordinator Gayla Ratzlaff met with the commission in closed session for 10 minutes to discuss an employee’s wages. On return to open session, the commission explained that the county doesn’t give individual or merit-based raises to part-time employees. Raises for part-time employees are handled as an all-or-nothing decision.
• Cooperative Grain & Supply of Hillsboro will provide 6,550 gallons of fuel to Road and Bridge Department for $21,806. Cardie Oil Inc. of Tampa bid $22,299.
• Road and Bridge Superintendent Randy Crawford met with the commission in closed session for five minutes to discuss job performance.
• Megan Chizek in the Communications Department received a raise from $11 to $12.72 per hour for completing training.