MASON CITY – Listed below are a few expenses that stood out in this month’s check register released by the City of Mason City. Do you agree with these uses of your tax dollars?
**(Who was paid, reason, amount)**
Mason City Chamber of Commerce, annual dues: $150.00
Brent Trout, travel expenses: $1,319.10
MacNider Museum, credit card fees: $106.44
Rotary Club of Mason City, listed as “BLANCHARD DUES”: $170.00
NIACOG (North Iowa Area Council of Governments), 2014 dues: $20,216.88
See-Click-Fix, license renewal: $2,400.00
KIMT TV-3, for “457 improvements”: $650.00
Wal-Mart, for various supplies and items: $820.76
ADVERTISING EXPENSES:
– KXLT (Fox 47 Rochester): $1,584.00
– Fairway Outdoor Advertising: $1,120.00
– North Iowa Media Group (Globe Gazette) – $446.38
– KLSS: $500.00
– North Iowa Broadcasting Inc. (radio) – $100.00
33 thoughts on “City check register shows your tax dollars hard at work… or not?”
Why pay an annual dues to a civic/social organization? I’m sure theses groups would be happy to have a city representative come and speak at a meeting without having to pay dues.
I read these warrants whenever they are printed in the local rag. There have been some that I wonder what exactly they are. The most recent one that I recall was a payment to an out of town flower shop for office equipment. If that doesn’t make a Mason City tax payer wonder, what will. Keep up the good work Matt, while I too might not agree with everything that you print, this is your site, and if I don’t like it, I don’t have to come here and read your articles.
Get a clue. I am sure big conspiracy theory here with no facts to back it up. Just innuendo. Do really think Kevin Jacobsen who is audited and has a exemplorary record as finance director is going to fabricate expenditures. I don’t think. Looks like to me just pure jealousy and hatred by the author of this article who has lost all credibility. Get a grip.
Funny stuff here!
The information provided isn’t sufficient to tell if something was wasteful. Do we know why Mr. Trout was traveling? Maybe he was at a training to obtain Federal government grants? Maybe the City’s investment of $1,300 will bring the city millions of dollars in return. Then citizens would think the travel was a great idea. The point is NIT prints this slanted material without one attempt to explain it. As a newspaper, that is simply lazy and irresponsible.
Call city hall and ask what it was for. It’s public record. Easy.
This is the immediate information the city released. They never explain much of these expenses. We are lucky they said this much. As far as any trip Trout ever took for the city, I’ve never seen much return on investment. The point is – as you say – I simply gave the information as-is to the people and let them discuss it. I’m sorry you think that is “lazy and irresponsible.” I do believe discussion and dialogue are most times helpful and a good thing. You are reading more into the story than is there.
Well, yes, this is all they release. More details are available by calling or stopping in. This was just the official disbursement list. A call to the clerk’s office would tell you what specific amounts are for. Or you could call Trout. This is not a secret conspiracy!
Whenever there is an opening in a government body, it does have to post/advertise it. Yeah, it’s a law. Newspapers will NOT take it easy on governments, that’s for sure. AND, if you want quality people, you sure as hell wouldn’t put an ad in the Glob to get anyone from around here.
That, and no one reads the glob classifieds in print. List something for sale in there and see if you ever get a call. You won’t. They are dead, they just don’t know it yet.
Any city has a certain amount of expense in advertising for job openings, bid letting, mandated notices, etc. Nobody gives advertising away any more. It’s got nothing to do with economic development.
Cities should have representation in civic and service clubs – they need to be able to have input and information on any issues that may affect the city.
Miscellaneous expenses are everything from bug spray to kleenex. Is finding out how many boxes and the color of these kleenex worth the extra time and expense of the clerk’s office? Really? You all complain about wages – well nitpicking uses up wages. Stop being so suspicious. If you think the city is buying booze and throwing parties, get involved and go to EVERY meeting.
Otherwise, trust your employees and elected officials to be hardworking trustworthy people. Even if you don’t like one or two of them, odds say at least ONE person working there is a stand-up citizen.
So STOP LOOKING FOR A CRIME! THERE ISN’T ONE!
most of these old farts that post on here just don’t get it. To them the “sky is falling” and “there was a second shooter on the grassy knoll”.
There was a crime. Bookmeyer stole postage and stationary from City Hall for his mayor’s party. He also used city staff to help set up the party. That is called pilfering. He admitted it. I say, where there is smoke, there is fire. If I worked at City Hall, I wouldn’t leave my loose change on a countertop because Bookmeyer might steal it.
Bookmeyer, Bookmeyer, Bookmeyer! This isn’t about Bookmeyer! This is an insinuation that the clerk’s office is crooked! No mayor in the history of the world can order the clerk’s office to pay for something illegal! All these bills had to go before the council before they were paid! The mayor has NO VOTE in this matter! If the council – by majority rule – authorized payment, that should be good enough for you!
If Bookmeyer used city stamps (good lord!), then get on Bookmeyer’s case. But to try and villainize the entire governmental body because Eric used some stamps is just ridiculous!
I could not find a crime called “pilfering” in the Code of Iowa. It is on-line, check it out.
Wow, thanks for the info. There are so many items that are so wasteful. The City should not be paying for anyone’s service club dues. That is a total waste of taxpayer’s dollars. It may be a small amount in the scheme of the entire budget– but it is the principle. The city was talking about the difficult budget this year and how every dept. had to cut back, then they cut human rights…but the can pay for these things!!! WE need to keep an eye out for the council agenda and where it shows warrants paid and it gets by on a consent agenda– well– these things need to be looked at line item by line item…
This really makes me mad. And, what are we advertising for????? Most stations will do freebies for non-profit and govt. entities… And, why pay Chamber dues…. The City is the City and the Chamber is the Chamber. Do we pay other dues????
Are there other areas where we need a watchdog??? Are there other officials that have their service club dues paid?? And is MS. Blanchard’s annual dues/quarterly/ semi-annually???
Seems to me that we pay the NI Economic development corp a huge sum of money each year– why don’t the advertising fees come out of that??? Common sense– is lost on this current government leadership.
I understand NIACOG– buses, transportation and other services that the city needs and uses. that one makes sense to me.
Let’s keep looking…..
Nov. time to vote for people that puts city ahead of personal pocket book.
Why does the city belong to the Chamber? What use is that? Also, what is the Rotary Club “Blanchard” Dues?
Is that dues for Edith Blanchard, the gal that runs the MacNider Museum? Why on god’s green earth are we paying for that??
You don’t think a museum should belong to its local chamber of commerce? You don’t think their marketing efforts might come in handy?
Dues were for the Rotary Club. Not the Chamber of Commerce.
Same difference. The city needs a presence in the civic groups. The Rotary is a community focused organization. If you check, I’m sure most community leaders are members. Banks, etc pay dues for their top employees. This is as old as time.
Hey sickandstpid. U r clueless.
The city is not a bank. They operate and spend taxpayer money and should and are held accountable for what they do with that money. When it has been proven that they have wasted taxpayer dollars on special projects such as statues and financing things that have nothing to do with running the city we have a right to ask what they are doing with our dollars. That may not be the way it works where you live but it is here.
Oh baloney. You either trust your elected officials or you don’t. There are too many rules and too many ways to be caught stealing or cheating. Clerks have to publish budgets and spending and receipts. “Wasting tax dollars” is a matter of opinion. There are just as many – or more – who don’t see things like the statues as waste. And fyi – this is the “way it works” in every city. All you have to do is zip your lip and attend the meetings. They are open to the public. You might learn something.
And no, Lancaster, I actually know what I’m talking about. I know that’s rare around here, but I do.
What makes you think I don’t attend the meetings? And, why wouldn’t we distrust the bunch that we have running our city right now? They have proven to be untrustworthy on several occasions. “Maybe it is you who needs to Zip your lips”. You don’t live here so your opinion on what happens in our city is none of your concern. I think I know what town you live in and they have enough problems of their own.
No, you don’t. And no you don’t. If you attended all the meetings you would know something.
You make no sense. Back to 5 East for you.
No you don’t know where I live and no you don’t attend meetings, otherwise you would know something which you clearly do not.
Is that easier for your corroded brain cells to grasp?
You are being redundant and stupid again. And, I now know who Happy Guy is, who he worked for and where he lives. What makes you think I can’t find you?
Oh knock it off. If you think tracing somebody’s IP address is magic, you really are a fool. I know EXACTLY who you are, whether you like it or not. You make the same spelling and grammar errors – especially when you’re all worked up – and you’re easy to identify. The fact that you threaten to find out “who you are and where you live” just proves that that I was right a long time ago. The ease of creating blogs was tailor made for frustrated crackpots with emotional problems like you. Carry on!
Bla, Bla,Bla,-More noise from 5 east.
What is the city advertising? Our city provides water, sewer, police and fire protection. They maintain streets and parks. Do we need to advertise that? Looks very wasteful to me.