Government

By Chris Fortune Vacant and unused buildings in St. Joseph could meet the wrecking ball as the city looks toward redevelopment. Last fall, the city council approved up to $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to use toward the demolition of dilapidated properties. Later in the fall, the city realized the Department of Treasury

By Riley Funk St. Joseph roads will be getting nearly $5 million for annual resurfacing projects after the city council approved funding Monday night. The city council has approved, in total, $4,730,800 to be used for the 2024 resurfacing project. The Herzog Contracting Corporation will take on the contract after submitting a bid to the

By Jazmine Knight After a city council seat remained vacant for several weeks, its new District II representative is ready to begin working to better St. Joseph, and particularly, the South Side. Jason Eslinger, a personal injury and criminal attorney, was sworn into office Tuesday, April 9 after being selected by the council April 4.

By Riley Funk The St. Joseph City Council selected Jason Eslinger on Thursday to fill the District II seat. The seat was left open after former council member Taylor Crouse resigned due to his planned move outside the district boundary. Eslinger is no stranger to the South Side. He grew up and attended school in

By Riley Funk While voters approved the majority of proposed city charter amendments on Tuesday, two propositions failed, meaning two boards will not move under the city administrative code. Proposition 5 would have removed the Museum Oversight Board and the Personnel Board from the city charter and added them to the City of St. Joseph

By Chris Fortune More residents seemingly wanted their voices to be heard on Tuesday, as voter turnout in the general municipal election exceeded last year’s by nearly 10%. Buchanan County saw 22.5% voter turnout on April 2, which was a jump from the 12.6% mark in April 2023. County Clerk Mary Baack-Garvey expected low voter

By Riley Funk The city council approved funding for emergency dispatch services and city agencies Monday night. St. Joseph City Council members voted unanimously 8-0-0 to approve upgrades to the local 911 operating system with Bill No. 778-22. The city will now file an application to the Missouri 911 Service Board to request funding to

By Chris Fortune Vacation rental homes will be subject to new rules and regulations after the most recent city council meeting. The city council approved an amendment to the city’s code of ordinances this month with requirements for short-term rentals, like Airbnbs, to be properly licensed, be in appropriate zoning districts and pay all applicable

By NewsPress Now Rolling Hills Library is asking voters to eliminate the sunset portion of its overall tax levy and reset its overall tax levy. A yes vote will remove the sunset portion of the levy, which is set to end in 2039 and reset the library district’s overall tax levy from $0.31 to $0.28

By Riley Funk Voters have seven chances to make changes to St. Joseph’s city charter at the polls on Tuesday. Propositions would amend seven sections of the charter, impacting issues including how the city’s governing body is elected and how officials are required to disseminate information about public notices. Residents can vote yes or no

By Chris Fortune A local election official is hoping to see more voters head to the polls for Tuesday’s municipal election than in years past. Buchanan County saw 12.6% participation in the April 2023 election, according to the county election summary report. Like this year, it also included school board members. County Clerk Mary Baack-Garvey

By Riley Funk Several spots in town are getting a spruce up thanks to support from city leaders. The River Bluff Gateway Project is a revitalization effort that makes improvements in the areas of King Hill Avenue, St. Joseph Avenue, the Sixth Street corridor and places in Downtown. The St. Joseph City Council approved four

By Chris Fortune Buchanan County officials shared the proposed outline for dredging Lake Contrary with community members as they continue to consider the project. Over 70 residents gathered Wednesday at the Remington Nature Center, where an engineer discussed the benefits of dredging the lake over a brief slide presentation. After a few slides, the presentation

By NewsPress Now Applications are being taken for an open seat on the St. Joseph City Council. Councilmember Taylor Crouse announced his resignation as the District II representative last week due to his planned move outside of its boundaries. The City Council is asking those interested in the seat to submit a letter of intent

By Riley Funk The St. Joseph City Council approved more than $50,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds on Monday to better equip city police vehicles. The council voted to approve funding to transfer $51,878 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to purchase firearms that will be placed in 37 police vehicles. There will be

By Chris Fortune St. Joseph residents had the opportunity to question local office holders Friday afternoon. Missouri state Reps. Bill Falkner and Dean VanSchoiack, Buchanan County Presiding Commissioner Scott Nelson and St. Joseph City Councilman Randy Schultz attended the forum at the St. Joseph branch of the Rolling Hills Library. Each officeholder introduced themselves, discussed