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New Franklin Council Grants Funds for Fight Against Drugs

Editor
Posted 3/30/04

By Kim Thompson New Franklin Correspondent The New Franklin city council meeting March 22 pledged at least $2,000 for fighting illegal drug activity and approved the purchase of medical kits for the …

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New Franklin Council Grants Funds for Fight Against Drugs

Posted
Editor
By Kim Thompson
New Franklin Correspondent

The New Franklin city council meeting March 22 pledged at least $2,000 for fighting illegal drug activity and approved the purchase of medical kits for the police department.

'Can we afford not to contribute' queried Councilwoman Melissa Megas when the council discussed whether and how much to give to the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force. Deputy Sheriff Terry Everett reported that he and nine full-time deputies have made 500 arrests and busted 120 methamphetamine labs in the last two years within their five-county jurisdiction, which includes Howard County. The task force is funded by federal grants, county funds, and municipal contributions. Officer Eric Moss commented, 'They have helped us out a lot.' The council committed $2,000 to the task force, and will consider giving more money after a budget review in July.

Patrol cars will soon carry medical kits. Officer Eric Moss advocated purchase of the kits. Police encounter many medical needs that range from knee scrapes to heart attacks. The medical kits contain band-aids, burn pads, blankets, splints, trauma shears, oral airways, and other first-aid items that police officers can use for both minor and major injuries. Council members approved the purchase of the medical kits for each patrol car; the kits cost $230 each.

In other business, the council:

' authorized $170 for sponsoring the New Franklin school sports poster.
' purchased bonding insurance for $600.
' accepted past-due taxes of $600 from current cable company, LongView Communications, which assumed debt for previous cable company, Galaxy Communications.

Featured:

Mayor Jerry Thornton

Mayor Jerry Thornton had no aspirations for political office. But he cares about his community, and that's why he is mayor today.

He first served on the city council in 1991, as an appointee to finish out an absent alderman's term. But not because he wanted to. Thornton had rejected the request to serve on the board. 'I hate politicians to this day, even though I am one,' he said. But someone goaded him with this question: 'Don't you give a damn about your community' Thornton decided he did care about his community, and accepted the assignment. Since then, Thornton served as an alderman for four years. He ran for mayor in 1995 and won by one vote. In subsequent mayoral elections, Thornton has won by large margins.

Thornton notes two major accomplishments during his tenure: Fiscal responsibility and a new water infrastructure. When Thornton first came to the board in 1991, the city was running in the red, approximately $30,000. Now the city is in the black, living within its means. Thornton is quick to give credit to the city council members and the city administrator, Pat Cunningham. 'I've seen Pat here at 6 o'clock at night, hunting for a 10-cent imbalance. And she finds it,' he said.

The city has a new water infrastructure due to efforts of the mayor and current council members. Thornton said that the grant application for the water infrastructure 'took a lot of phone calls,' At times 'it was like pulling teeth.' The application was rejected two years in a row. The third year of submitting the grant proposal, council members traveled to Jefferson City and personally visited state officials. The visit turned out fruitful. The grant was approved, and the city now has a new water infrastructure. A few years later, residents passed a bond issue which installed a new sewer system.

With fiscally sound city government and new water infrastructure, the community is ready for growth. And that is Thornton's hopes for the future: 'New homes, new businesses,' he said.

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