Two Scott County residents angry about road dust; sales tax revenues in sharp decline

BENTON, Mo. — Scott County residents with concerns about detoured traffic using their road are still seeking a solution.

During the regular Scott County Commission meeting Tuesday, Leon and Joyce Kielhofner presented Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger with their latest proposal for County Road 268: close it until the bridge on Route W between Oran and Perkins is back up.

The Kielhofners have appeared before commissioners at several meetings to express their concern about the effect the additional traffic using County Road 268 because of the bridge closure is having on the gravel road.

"That road was not designed for that amount of traffic," Joyce Kielhofner said. "And they don't go slow down that road."

"The dust is just flying sky high," Leon Kielhofner said.

The Kielhofners suggested that if county officials will not put down a chip-and-seal or regular blacktop surface near their home to keep the dust down, the road should be closed so detoured traffic will use a different road.

The next available road for detoured motorists to use is a blacktop road, they noted.

"We could put road closed signs up but I don't know what good it will do," Burger said.

"It might slow the traffic down," Joyce Kielhofner said.

Leon Kielhofner said County Road 268 is also the most hazardous road in Scott County due to limbs and branches that need trimming.

Burger said he will visit the area to look it over.

In other Scott County business Tuesday:

The county's Board of Equalization opened with no property owners appearing with property value disputes.

Board of Equalizations rule on appeals of property valuations set by the county assessor.

The first step if a property owner thinks their assessed property value is too high is to bring their concern to the assessor s office. If an agreement is not reached, the property owner can then take their appeal to the Board of Equalization.

The Board of Equalization will remain in session, meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays, through July 17.

    

Falling sales tax revenue continues to concern commissioners.

The June sales tax receipts were $149,449. "What concerns us is last year it was $216,014," Commissioner Dennis Ziegenhorn said.

Ziegenhorn said the county’s sales tax revenue for this year is now down $108,975 as compared with last year at this time.