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DAILY NEWS MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2016 • WHERE TO GO WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW
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Vets Affairs plans ways to finish out budget effectively By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News
How much is enough? Voters help decide By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News
CITY OF NEWTON
Many have already completed their taxes. But as Monday is officially the deadline for filing a 2015 regular federal return, it’s important to look at where all that tax money goes. Jasper County governments receive money from many sources, but nearly all of it stems from some form of individual or commercial taxes. While that tax money is used for all sorts of expenses, the largest expense of a government, in many cases, is salaries. After the Newton Daily News published the top salaries of various Jasper County public employees last year, there was some unsurprising feedback. Many taxpayers agree the spiraling cost of government is driving up taxes and raises for highly paid officials seem out of step with the local private sector. However, not all feedback was negative. First responders, especially those who seem to face the greatest degree of risk or danger, bring in not only praise from the community, but also in support of their salary structure. Many readers said that element of public service is worth the investment.
Total 2014 (last full year available) for 200 salaries: $7,090,000 Average annual salary, including part-time employees: $35,450 Amount of salaries at $60,000 or higher: 48 (24 percent of 200 salaries) City Administrator, 2006 vs. 2015: Dave Schornack, 2006 base salary: $88,299 Bob Knabel, 2013 gross wages: $129,000 Mayor, 2004 vs. 2016: Chaz Allen, 2004: $4,000 plus $2,400 yearly car-expense allowance Mike Hanson, 2014: $4,000 plus $2,400 yearly car-expense allowance Top gross wage earners, 2014 1. Bob Knabel, City Administrator, $129,000 2. Keith Laube, Public Works Director, $120,000 3. Jeff Hoebelheinrich, Chief of Police, $113,000 4. Bryan Friedman, Director of Finance and Development, $108,000 5. Sue Padilla, Library Director, $105,000 6. Jerrod Wellik, Fire Chief, $100,000 7. Bill Henninger, Police Lieutenant, $95,000 8. Ron Cook, Police Lieutenant, $91,000 9. Jody Rhone, Public Works, $86,000 10. Susan Beise, Assistant Library Director and Technical Services, $86,000
SIMILAR CITIES
Boone: Administrator: $101,800. Director of Finance: $70,000. Public works/ Parks and recreation director: $83,000. Waverly: Administrator: $137,000. Mayor: $6,000. Fire Chief (of volunteer dept.) $4,619. Director of Finance: $66,000. Public services superintendent: $76,000. Parks and recreation director: $79,000. Police Chief: $85,000. Also: Des Moines City Manager: $208,700 NUMBERS | 3A
EARN | 3A
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month Newton Daily News Distracted driving has been a hot topic in the news for several years, and yet, despite great outreach, distracted driving is a growing epidemic. This April, the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau wants to bring to light the alarming number of crashes caused by distracted driving. NATIONALLY According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, in 2014, there were 3,179 people killed nationwide, up slightly from 2013, in distracted driving crashes, that accounts for 10 percent of all crashes. In addition,
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there were 431,000 injuries (up 7,000 from 2013), or 18 percent of all crash injuries from distracted driving crashes. IOWA In 2014, there were 322 total fatalities in Iowa, which included four distracted driving fatalities and 324 distracted driving injuries. Distracted driving-related fatalities are greatly under-reported and many, if not most, of the 207 (64 percent of all fatalities) lane-departure fatalities may have been the result of distracted driving. Distracted driving isn’t just cell phones and other electronic devices. Distracted driving includes DRIVING | 3A
VETERANS | 3A
Colfax launches efforts to address transportation concerns By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News COLFAX — On a mission to gather transportation information, 31 people came together Saturday in Colfax. Participants in the Colfax Transportation Assets and Barriers meeting complied more than 90 photos of areas throughout the community that have both positive and negative qualities for the city. “Community visioning is a process to help us better understand how people move about Colfax and what we can do to improve it, or highlight things that are important to us,” said Leslie Berckes, program manager with Trees Forever. The meeting started with participants reviewing maps of the area and pinpointing specific locations that had assets to the community along with areas
Jamee A. Pierson/Daily News A small but dedicated group gathered to hear the results of the Colfax Transportation Assets and Barriers meeting on Saturday at Colfax-Mingo High School. Results from the meeting are available at www.communityvisioning.org.
that may be barriers. The large group then divided up and went out into the city to take photographs of the areas for visual proof. The information gathered was deposited in a website that
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created a map of the city. Areas participants saw as assets were designated with a green dot while areas with barriers were denoted with a red dot. COLFAX | 8A
FEATURE
WHERE IT’S AT Astrograph......................5B Calendar..........................5A Classifieds......................4B
Jasper County’s Veterans Affairs Department doesn’t exactly have baskets filled with cash lying around, waiting to be tossed to the first veteran to come through the door. However, the department does have some funds that must be spent, and much of Wednesday’s monthly Jasper County Veterans Affairs Commission meeting was devoted to discussing effective ways to spend about $52,000 in earmarked use-or-lose Chartier funds that must be depleted by the end of Fiscal 2016 on June 30. Veterans Affairs Director Chris Chartier said his department’s budget has many usual government restrictions, limiting spending to areas that further the goals of serving veterans. “We can include our logo or a flier or a plug for our services, with our contact information and maybe a little about what we do to help veterans,” Chartier said regarding spending on events or products. “But we can’t simply donate money to an organization or cause, as that would show favoritism. All our spending in that realm has to be outreach.” Chartier said some of the funds will already be spent in ways not shown on the balance sheets he presented at the meeting, such as the upcoming May 20-22 Warrior in the Woods retreat hosted by a New York organization. Other projects mentioned included helping do outreach through a project intended to place small American flags around veterans’ graves in local cemeteries, such as Union Cemetery of Newton. Projects set to happen in fiscal year 2017 will also hopefully include appearances at more large public events, such as the Thanks With Franks event hosted by
Comics & Puzzles...........6A Dear Abby........................6A Local News......................2A
Obituaries.......................5A Opinion............................4A State News......................7A
2B Auctions has new location
First auction’s turn out pleases owners / 2A
Volume No. 114 No. 236 2 sections 14 pages
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