Kahoka, MO – About a dozen residents who want to see county operations remain in the historic courthouse held a candle-light vigil in Kahoka Tuesday night. The vigil got underway about a 1/2 hour before a meeting of the group working to build a new Clark County Courthouse.
Dozens of luminaries surrounded the courthouse. Participants also held the small, white bags as members of the committee arrived for the meeting.
Carla Derrick says the idea was to show there is still support for restoring the courthouse. She says plans are being developed to show how to restore the current courthouse and construct a new annex for additional offices and storage space.
Derrick hopes to be able to release more details about the plan early next year. She says turnout for the vigil was because of rough weather and school-related events.
Courthouse Meeting
Those who want to build a new courthouse in Clark County got some good news this week.
Clark Comissioner Jerry Neyens says the Missouri Department of Economic Development has set aside $4-million in low interest loans for the construction of a new courthouse. He says the loans would save the county more than $1-million in interest.
Neyens says the potential savings would allow Clark County to avoid raising property taxes to repay any money borrowed for a new courthouse. He says a sales tax increase is still needed.
A property tax increase has been cited as a reason why voters rejected the county's plan to borrow money for a new courthouse in November.
Neyens says the loans are only available for a few months. He says the sales tax vote on February 2 is now crucial to show Clark County would be able to pay off the low-interest loans.
Members of the courthouse committee plan to hold special town-hall meetings, publish information about the loans, print an informational flier, and even go door-to-door to explain to people why a new courthouse is needed.