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During the process to approve the salary ordinance, Alderman Jim Albrecht asked that the salary of the collector be $18,000, not $1. The proposed amendment to the ordinance was voted down 6-2. Only Aldermen Bill Isgriggs and Albrecht voted in favor of the $18,000 salary.
"There should be some means of allowing somebody to run for the elected position," Albrecht said.
The county will charge about $18,000, plus some additional charges, to collect city taxes. The current collector's salary, benefits and payments to the city's insurance provider total over $60,000.
Mayor Mike Livengood added that there will be no duties for the collector. "It is my understanding that there are no duties," he said. "The board felt that the duties can be taken over by the staff and the staff can handle it."
City Administrator Russell Rost said in September that staffing can be evaluated and a decision made at a later date.
In August, Collector Ruth Dowil asked the city's personnel and finance committee to not go through "the backdoor" and lower the collector's salary to make the position undesirable for a candidate.
The city can set the salary for the collector, however eliminating the elected position must appear on the ballot and be approved by Union residents. Furthermore, residents still could run for the position even if the salary only is $1.
The discussion stems from a request by Dowil to raise the collector's salary by $1,500 next year. Her four-year term ends in April 2010.
By law, the city must set the salary of an elected position prior to the date filing opens. Filing for the April election begins in December.
Resident Speaks
Former Alderman Terry Copeland Monday night claimed that reducing the collector's salary would not save the city money. However, information gathered by City Administrator Russell Rost has indicated that the city could save as much as $40,000.
"When nobody runs, the mayor is going to have to appoint somebody and has to give them a salary," said Copeland.
He added that without elected officials, city leaders will have too much control.
"If you don't have to answer to anybody, it's a dictatorship," said Copeland. "It is not about saving the city money - it's about power and control."
"Voters should decide if they want to get rid of these elected positions," he added.
Copeland said the city can save funds by not attending conferences, not giving city employees raises and stop "cost overruns" on capital improvement projects.
"To have the right to create democracy and vote taken away is nothing but wrong, wrong, wrong," he said.
County Collection
The county collector's office began collecting for municipalities in 1998 when it started collecting for Washington. Other cities began soliciting the service.
In 2006, Pacific was the latest to have the county collect its taxes.
Each of the cities the county collects for is assessed a charge for the service. One and one-half percent of the total charge goes to the collector's fund and one-half percent goes to the assessor's fund.
That money goes to the general revenue fund and offsets the extra costs in each office.
In addition to the collector and assessor charges, the county collector and clerk each get a $2,000 commission for their services. This is because both are held personally accountable for the accuracy of their offices.
Berger, Gerald, Leslie, Oak Grove Village and Parkway Village do not have to pay to have the county collect their taxes for them because so little tax is collected.
Another benefit to cities is that the county is better able to collect on delinquent bills. As long as the individual lives within the state, he or she will have to pay personal property tax to renew license plates and tags at the Missouri Department of Revenue.
