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City administrator presents 2025 annual report highlighting $35.4 million in planned projects and continued infrastructure work
Summary
City Administrator delivered the 2025 annual report, reviewing revenues and expenditures, development activity, blight-removal progress, DNR wastewater requirements and a multi-year project portfolio totaling roughly $35.4 million with approximately $3 million in city funds.
City Administrator delivered the 2025 annual report to the Board of Aldermen, summarizing fiscal condition, development activity, infrastructure projects and departmental performance for 2024 and near-term priorities for 2025.
The administrator said a typical example of local tax distribution: a roughly $150,800 market home generates about $2,026 in total property taxes; about $1,644 of that (about 81%) goes to the school district while roughly $191 (about 9%) goes to the city, illustrating that property tax revenue is a relatively small portion of the municipal budget. City officials emphasized that sales taxes and franchise fees supply the majority of city operating revenue.
Key highlights from the report included: - Capital and grant activity: Staff described a project portfolio of about $35.4 million in total projects (11 grants awarded and additional outside funding), with roughly $3 million of city funds leveraged alongside other funding sources for stormwater, water and sewer, street and utility projects. - Blight and demolition: The city completed demolition of the old hospital and removed several blighted structures; staff reported ongoing conversations with an interested party about demolishing and redeveloping the former Walmart site. - Public safety and emergency services: Police call and arrest trends showed modest changes; some call types (burglaries, aggravated assaults, assaults on officers and shoplifting) rose slightly. EMS billing performance improved in 2024 versus prior years; staff noted increased billing and collection activity and that write-offs remained substantial but improving. - Wastewater/DNR compliance: The administrator emphasized continuing regulatory pressure from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR), noting the city recently completed a UV disinfection project but was informed of additional emerging requirements that could affect the earlier investment; staff said the city must comply or risk permit issues. - Utilities and outages: Electric outages were reported to have decreased year over year due to infrastructure investments; water loss remained within typical local ranges (presenter cited a usual 3–5% range for the city compared with a cited national average of 15%). - Parks, community center and recreation: Membership and participation rose after recent facility investments; summer-camp and before/after-school programs recovered toward 2021 levels. - Development activity: Staff cited ongoing and upcoming residential and commercial projects (including Cedar Crossing and other subdivisions) and continued interest in the enhanced enterprise zone and commercial redevelopment on the square.
The administrator closed by noting the city continues to rely on grants and external funding to deliver capital projects and that the board’s priorities and long-term goals framed departmental work and budgets. Board members thanked staff and praised progress on blight removal, street maintenance and utility reliability.
Ending: No formal action was taken on the report; staff invited aldermen to request follow-up briefings on specific programs or data points discussed in the presentation.
