Joplin City Council discusses budget and payment from Missouri for transportation

The City of Joplin will discuss the proposed 191 million dollar budget for the next fiscal year tonight at the city council meeting.  

Mayor Keenan Cortez told Newstalk KZRG:

“The good thing is you can be a part of the annual budget for the city of Joplin. So every year we hold a public hearing on it. The city manager will give his letter to the city explaining why we have a $191 million budget, and what those monies are going to.” 

Cortex went on to say:  “Then we’ll open up a public hearing and give citizens an opportunity to come to the microphone. You’ll have your five minutes and you can comment on that. Hey, you guys are spending too much money over here or why aren’t you spending more money over there? We suggest that you do it this way.  A lot of people think that when you come to the microphone and you make those comments that we’re not listening, but we’re really listening.”

The meeting tonight at 6 inside the council chambers at 6th and Main Street.

Joplin will also be accepting over sixty thousand dollars from the state of Missouri for running two transportation systems.

Mayor Keenan Cortez tells KZRG why they are getting the money:

“It’s a reimbursement thing. This is the state of Missouri helping us operate our maps in our trolley. It’s a subsidy, if you will, to help us make sure that those services are always available to our citizens. There are great costs that come with operating the trolley. Great cost comes with operating MAPS. You can just imagine the fuel, the maintenance, the upkeep. Somebody’s got to clean it every day. This is just money to help us make sure that that service is being offered in our community.”