Jennifer Moonsong
WCLU News Director
At the regularly called meeting of the Glasgow City Council, the tax rate for 2025 was approved. The rate for real estate would stay the same at 0.169, or 16.9 cents, per $100 of assessed value, and the rate for personal property, would decrease from 0.17, or 17.6 cents, per $100 of assessed value to a rate of 0.169.
The only councilperson who adamantly voiced concerns regarding the rates was Marna Kirkpatrick.
“Things are not the same as last year, people are struggling,” Kirkpatrick said.
City Treasurer, Stephanie Garrett and Councilman Terry Bunnell explained the importance of the trivial and incremental changes, saying that in not doing so, the city could lose its position of applying for much needed grants.
Bunnell summed up the matter by explaining city taxes paid on real and personal properties support services including police protection and fire protection.
Kirkpatrick was the sole “no” vote against the tax rate change.
Another hot topic at the Glasgow City Council meeting was zoning that’s being put into place for future medical cannabis entities.
Kevin Myatt explained to the council what would and would not be allowed in certain zones. For example, the growing of medical cannabis would only be allowed in agricultural and industrial zones, and he said that most of the agricultural zones were “on the outskirts of the city”. Most districts would only be allowed dispensaries and safety and compliance facilities related to the emerging industry.
The amendments to the zoning ordinance would also add “construction storage” to the definitions in the Job Trailers section and states non-traditional structures cannon be used.
Councilman Joe Trigg asked several probing questions, and Myatt reiterated that these issues should have been addressed in one of the two public hearings held in August. Terry Bunnell was the only councilman that voted against the zoning ordinances.
At the beginning of the council meeting, an amendment was made to the agenda, allowing Chip Sutherland of Baird to address a bond issue. A resolution to approve a bond in the amount of up to $10 million was passed unanimously. These monies will be used for the complete overhaul and renovation of American Legion Park, which will become a city water park.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the the parks renovation will be this Thursday, September 12 at 10:00 a.m.
In other business, a more than hour long closed session resulted in the City of Glasgow agreeing to purchase a little over 161 acres of land for the price of $6.5 million. The land is located at 1573 Cleveland Ave. The price of the land is $38,000 an acre. Although there were no public discussions regarding this purchase at the meeting, which is said to be used for the development and betterment of the City of Glasgow, council-members Max Marion and Marna Kirkpatrick voted against it.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Glasgow City Council is Sept. 23 at 6:00 p.m.
