SPARTAN RECORD
LIBRARY NEWS
The Southwestern Community College men’s basketball team won its program-record 26th game of the season Wednesday. For more on the Spartans, see SPORTS, page 9A. >>
Coloring for adults will meet 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28 at Gibson Memorial Library. For more library news, see page 3A. >>
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017
CITY COUNCIL
City budget: Levy rate drops, but tax asking rises again By SCOTT VICKER
CNA managing editor svicker@crestonnews.com
CNA photo by SCOTT VICKER
February fishing: A pair of fishermen navigate Green Valley Lake in a boat Wednesday afternoon, looking for the best spot to fish. The temperature in Creston reached 70 degrees Wednesday, giving outdoor enthusiasts a rare opportunity to enjoy the weather in February. Today’s forecast calls for temperatures around 50 degrees with some rain, while the weekend forecast calls for snow and temperatures in the 30s.
US, Mexico at odds over deportation as top officials meet MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s mounting unease and resentment over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown are looming over a gathering of U.S. and Mexican leaders that the U.S. had hoped would project a strong future for relations between neighbors. There is no shortage of tension points as U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly meet Thursday with top Mexican officials. After all, it’s Kelly who’s tasked with executing Trump’s plan to target millions for possible deportation, and Tillerson who must explain it to the rest of the world. As the pair arrived in Mexico City, the two countries seemed much farther apart than their
close geographical proximity would suggest. “I think Secretary Tillerson and Secretary Kelly are going to have a great discussion down there,” said White House press secretary Sean Spicer. He called the relationship “phenomenal.” But while Spicer said the officials would “talk through the implementation of the executive order,” Mexico made clear it intended to do nothing of the sort. “I want to say clearly and most emphatically that the Mexican government and the Mexican people have no reason to accept unilateral decisions imposed by one government on another,” said Mexico’s foreign relations secretary, Luis Videgaray. “We are not going to accept that, because we
don’t have to.” Videgaray added a cryptic but pointed warning that Mexico wouldn’t hesitate to challenge the U.S. move at the United Nations or other global venues. The visiting Americans planned to meet Thursday with Videgaray before a working lunch with Mexican officials and a formal meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. The worsening rift over deportations and illegal immigration adds to an array of disputes that have sent U.S.-Mexico relations plunging since Trump took office a month ago. Trump’s insistence that Mexico pay billions for a border wall led Pena Nieto to cancel a planned Washington visit. Mexican officials are also ap-
prehensive over Trump’s pledge to overhaul the trade relationship and possible apply steep taxes to Mexican products, a move with profound impacts for Mexico’s export-heavy economy. New immigration enforcement memos signed by Kelly this week call for sending send some immigrants who have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally back into Mexico — even those from third countries who have no connection to Mexico. The memos also prioritize deportation for anyone charged or convicted of any crime, rather than just serious crimes, potentially subjecting millions in the U.S. illegally to deportation, including many Mexicans. MEXICO | 2A
The city’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2017-18 (FY2018) was released this week. The budget sets a levy at $13.45 per $1,000 of valuation – down 24 cents from $13.69 this year. “It’s not huge, but it’s not an increase,” City Administrator Mike Taylor said. Taylor The total tax asking moves from the current re-estimated FY2017 total of $2.83 million to $2.86 million in FY2018. That marks less of an increase than last year, when the tax asking increased from $2.4 million to $2.7 million. The city’s higher tax asking is a result of an increase in valuations for residential property, as determined by the Union County Assessor.
Budget rundown Taylor said wage increases for city employees will rise 2.2 percent across the board for non-bargaining and union employees in FY2018. City employees received raises of 2 percent in FY2013-15 and 2.2 percent in FY2016-17. Health insurance costs for city employees will increase .08 percent this year, but Taylor said employees will pick up an additional 1 per-
cent of their cost. Employees will now pay for 11 percent of their health insurance cost while tax dollars pay the remaining 89 percent. Major construction projects include the Adams Street project from Lake Shore Drive to Park Street, which is estimated to cost approximately $280,000, and the waste water improvement project that will be ongoing for three to four years. An additional $3 million has been built into the budget for potential road upgrades discussed at city council meetings, but yet to be approved. “We put proposals in front of them that show borrowing $1 million and $5 million,” Taylor said. “We built $3 million into this expense and revenue side for this budget, but if it doesn’t get approved, it washes out. We put it in there so we could try to avoid an amendment. I think there’s pretty good support to do something. We’re going to have to have some more discussions with some engineers. That’s going to be an ongoing topic.” The city is working on the road-improvement projects with Austin Smith of Garden and Associates in Creston. Taylor added that the levy rate does not have anything built into it for any additional street projects. If the council approves additional road-improvement projects, the levy rate would likely increase next year. CITY | 2A
CNA photo by SCOTT VICKER
CNA photo by SCOTT VICKER
Takeoff: Kylor Budrow, 8, of Creston launches a foam airplane into the air Wednesday
afternoon at Southern Prairie YMCA in Creston. Jennifer Queener, youth programs coordinator at the Y, said it was too nice outside to keep after-school children inside.
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Shooting hoops: Terrance Taylor, 8, of Creston loads up a shot Wednesday afternoon on
the outdoor basketball court at McKinley Park in Creston. With temperatures reaching 70 degrees in Creston Wednesday, McKinley Park was full of residents taking advantage of the unseasonably warm February weather before this weekend’s forecasted snow.
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