Joplin City Council Informal Session - March 16, 2026
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Joplin City Council Informal Session - March 16, 2026
The Joplin City Council held an informal session on Monday, March 16, 2026, at which three agenda items were presented: a financial update, a finance department update, and a downtown Joplin Alliance update. No formal votes or decisions were taken during the informal session.
Financial Update
- Mrs. Haas presented March financials. Sales tax revenue was up 3% compared to March of the previous year and up 3% for the fiscal year (representing January sales). Use tax was down 9% compared to March last year but up 11% for the year. Marijuana tax revenue was up almost 45% compared to the same month last year due to timing issues, and up 13.65% for the year. General fund through February 28th (four months into the fiscal year, or 33%) showed operating revenue coming in over budget, operating expenditures under budget, and a net operating gain better than anticipated. One-time revenue and expenditures were both under budget. Total net gain was better than budgeted, but $4 million in outstanding encumbrances remain. The budget is balanced with one-time revenue.
Finance Department Update
- Mrs. Haas provided an overview of the finance department's duties per Article 4 of the city charter, including maintaining accounting systems on a fund basis in conformity with GAAP and the adopted budget, furnishing monthly financial reports, monitoring internal controls, managing active and idle funds, coordinating financial functions, and providing administrative support. The department spends April 1st to October 31st working on budget and November 1st to April 30th working on audit. Key functions include payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, purchasing, business licenses, fixed assets, utility billing and collecting, centralized cash receipts, grants, general ledger, budget, and audit.
- Key statistics: business licenses on track, cash receipts up slightly, utility bills up, accounts receivable increased significantly due to street utility cuts and neighborhood improvement officers, purchase orders steady, AP checks slightly up. Staffing: one person handles business licenses and cash receipts; two handle utility billing; one handles payroll; one handles AR and purchasing; one handles AP checks. One accountant position is vacant and recently opened.
- Key initiatives: selling surplus property (mostly complete), county lot transfer program (some back-and-forth with county), transition to online business license (website configuration underway, training of departments on inspection sign-off anticipated this summer, renewal notices redesigned; next year's renewals due April 15, 2027, expected to be online), grant implementation, financial policies, time attendance system training (public works trained by end of March, parks and library in April), Popular Annual Financial Report complete but not submitted for GFOA certificate this year (hoping to submit 2025 report in April 2026 for first-time award), assisting with half-cent sales tax renewal initiative, implementation of Prospect Village, developing RFP for external independent fee review for FY27, state audit follow-up, opioid settlement, banking service bid to be presented later that evening, closeout of 1717 Marketplace (TIF Commission meeting set for April 30th, first reading on May 18th), EV charging stations set up in system with communications pending, transition from ACOM to DMS system (W-2s, business licenses, and 1099s already switched).
- Recent accomplishments: new budget process, user fee study, PAFR, five-year health insurance bid, GASBY 101 implementation (sick leave recognition), state audit completion, union contract assistance, general fund financials, tier two loggers transition, vehicle replacement schedule.
- Council questions: Mr. Kopel asked about the possibility of switching business license renewals to a 12-month rolling cycle to spread workload. Mrs. Haas noted new businesses are handled as they come, and renewals are due April 14th; she agreed to discuss with staff. Mr. Lawson and Mr. Shaw expressed appreciation for Mrs. Haas's long service.
Downtown Joplin Alliance Update
- A representative (likely Mrs. Hahn) presented updates. The Evening of Excellence in February featured a speaker on the economic impact of historic preservation, recognition of volunteers Sid Melton and Angela Hudson, and downtown champions Jennifer and Ryan Longnecker (completion of Holcroft Stolts Building), Club 609 (35 years in business), Eric Hahn (public art contributions), Friends Memorial Hall (historic preservation efforts), and Hackett Hot Wings ($10,000 National Main Street grant).
- Recent events: Empire Market Chili Cook Off in January and Paris Week in February; First Friday Wine Chair at Royal Cinema in February (networking event rotated among downtown locations). Clean Team started March–October, meeting first and third Saturdays at 9 a.m. at Joplin Avenue Coffee. A volunteer expo was hosted.
- Staff continuing education: Missouri Farmers Market Conference in Kansas City, visit to Lee's Summit new Green Street market building, risk management and crisis communication training, and human resources education.
- Upcoming: Route 66 centennial conferences (national and state) nearby with special city official rates. Advocacy in Jefferson City for a bill that would allow tax credits for upper floor redevelopment, applicable to large downtown buildings like the YMCA and Olivia. Working with city on downtown master plan RFP (near completion). Four accreditation signages installed at edges of downtown.
- Third Thursday season kicks off March 18 with "Go Green" (19th season, sponsor Recycled Joplin.com), about 100 vendors and live music. In May (Historic Preservation Month): release of a reprint of a 1990s historic building coloring book with art by Lee Humphrey; LOFS tour on May 2nd (Saturday) with about eight stops including an open house at the Carnegie Library; Tip Top Toast rooftop event (tickets available online). Historic survey presentation on May 12th for area between Joplin Avenue and Murphysburg Historic District (potential national register designation to open tax credits). Co-hosting a preservation symposium with the city and state preservation office on May 14th at Missouri Southern. Electric box beautification project with city, SPIVA, and Joplin Arts District (about two dozen boxes, artist submissions to be juried for vinyl wraps).
- Memorial Hall: public meeting on April 9th at 5:30 p.m. at Joplin Public Library; founding board initial meeting in April to approve bylaws, fill at-large seats, set up banking, file IRS application; RFQ for architect and historic consultant for design work and historic tax credit application part two to go out later that week.
- 2025 statistics: 16 new businesses opened downtown; approximately $7 million in private investment (including Messenger Tower, 524 South Virginia renovation, Holcroft Stoltz Building); 477 small businesses touched through Third Thursday vendors, Empire Market vendors, or workspace tenants; Empire Market had 37,000 visitors (up 20% from previous year), vendor sales up 34%, waiting list for vendors; 3,850 volunteer hours reported (value $134,000); over 900 residents living in downtown district.
- No questions from council.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes or decisions were taken during the informal session. The council will reconvene at 6 p.m. for the formal session.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the Jomplan City Council informal session for Monday, March 16, 2026. We have three items on our agenda for this evening. We'll begin with item number one financial update. Good evening, Mrs. Haas. Evening, Mayor, Council. Tonight I will present uh March Financials. Uh March sales tax was actually pretty good compared to March of last year. We're up three percent. So for the fiscal year, we're up three percent. Uh so that's good news, and uh just remember that really represents January sales. And then uh for use tax, not as good a news. Uh we're actually down uh compared to the same month last year by nine percent, but we're still up 11% for the year. And then uh marijuana. It's uh just about what it is every month, but it is a lot higher than the same month last year because last year we were seem to be having a lot of timing issues. Uh so we're up almost 45%, uh, but for the year we're up uh 13.65%. Any questions on uh any of the taxes? If not, I'll move to the general fund, uh, which is actually uh through February 28th, which is uh four months into the fiscal year or 33 percent. Uh operating revenue, uh you can see that uh right now we're coming in a little bit over budget. Uh operating expenditures were coming in under budget, which is good. So our uh net operating gain is better than anticipated. One time revenue is under budget, uh one time expenditures also under budget. Uh so you can see our total net gain is doing better than what we budgeted, but we still have four million dollars in outstanding encumbrances. And then uh you see the graph that you see every month, with the which again tells us that um the way that we're balancing our budget is with our one-time revenue. So any questions. Council. I see none. Hi. I think tonight it's my turn to give the finance department update. Uh so the finance department is really outlined in Article 4 of the charter. Um tells uh the specific duties of the department. So we need to maintain the accounting system on a fund basis in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, also known as GAAP, and in compliance with the adopted budget. Uh we need to furnish monthly financial reports, which we do, uh, monitoring internal controls to make sure uh that we're reporting accurately, uh managing our active and idle funds, uh coordinating the financial functions of the city and providing administrative support to city management department heads and other city staff. Um I've told you before we spend about six months of the year working on budget, which is from April 1st to October 31st, and six months of the year working on audit, uh, which is November 1st to April 30th. And then our key functions include payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, purchasing, business license, fixed assets, utility billing and collecting, uh centralized cash receipts, grants, general ledger, uh sorry, general ledger, budget, and audit. Here's some of our key statistics. Um a lot of them are in line with previous years. So uh business licenses right on track, uh cash receipts up just a little bit, utility bills up some, uh payroll. Uh one of the biggest jumps that we see though is in accounts receivable. This is really due to a couple of things. Um you know that uh our streets are getting cut uh utility cuts a lot, and so we we bill for those, so uh some of the increases from that, but also um one of the the action plans has a lot to do with neighborhood improvement, and we've added uh neighborhood improvement officers, and so we've seen an increase in in bills as a result of that. Purchase orders pretty steady, and then just a little bit of an increase in AP checks. And as a reminder, we we have one person that does business license, cash receipts, really two employees, utility billing, we have two. Payroll, we have one. We have one person that does AR and purchasing, and one person that does AP checks. And here's our organizational chart. And here's my staff. And here's a listing of everyone and their years of service. I do have one position that's vacant right now, which is the accountant one. We have just opened that position, and we're hoping to pick up a recent graduate or somebody that's getting ready to graduate.
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