The Gadfly is a series of letters offering commentary on local issues and published in the Warrensburg Gazette.

Dear Editor

I see that the Park Board doesn't like their park budget and have finally decided that they'll start charging for the weight room at the "Palace" (Community Center). That's appropriate, since it's in direct competition with private businesses in town. Some board members still want to raise taxes to make up for the shortfall at the "Palace" - a shortfall caused by overestimating revenue and underestimating operating costs. One Parks Board member thinks that a sales tax is fairer than property tax because non-residents use the "Palace"; another appointed Parks Board member thinks that park financing should be independent of control by the elected City Council. Yeah, right!

If you think about it, non-residents who shop in Warrensburg are already paying a lot of money for Warrensburg parks, considering the park share of the 1 cent general city tax and the 1/2 cent tax that was supposed to pay for the "Palace's" construction. The only fair way to fund the "Palace" is to charge those who use it; if they need more money from non-residents, charge them a higher fee. Any sales tax election would be difficult, especially when Warrensburg's tax rate is already high enough to make people look for cheaper places to shop.

It's amazing how our legislature can pass new laws and leave out essential items. They passed a law requiring everyone to yield right of way to funeral processions, but the report I read never said if someone going the opposite way from the procession had to yield. I checked the actual text of the law at the legislature's site on the internet to see if the news reports were incomplete. Nope, the law doesn't mention that little point..