MINER -- City Hall will be closed election day.
During the regular monthly Miner Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday, Peggy Holman, board member, suggested closing city offices and locking the courtroom's back door during the election April 3 to control extraneous traffic.
Holman said County Clerk Rita Milam said there were problems with "people coming in here four or five times" during the previous election.
"A fair election should be a fair election," Holman said.
Sharon Smith, a resident of Miner, said she hasn't heard of problems in the past and that Miner residents won't know City Hall is closed as it has always been open in the past on election day.
"All you have to do is put up a sign: City Hall is closed," Holman said.
Holman's suggestion was unanimously approved by board members.
In other business Tuesday:
* Board members approved seeking bids for an additional heating and cooling unit for City Hall.
City Clerk Janet Tuttle said the current unit is not adequately heating and cooling city offices, the foyer and the courtroom.
"There's three thermostats and two of them don't work," she noted.
Alderman Justin Medley said the unit has had trouble for several years.
Dub Higden of the Department of Public Works agreed adding a unit would be better than replacing the current unit.
Medley suggested asked interested vendors to submit a "detailed, thorough solution" for the Board to consider.
The old unit would continue to heat and cool the foyer and courtroom while the new unit would heat and cool city offices.
* Scott County Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger presented information on the proposed half-cent law enforcement sales tax which will be on the April ballot.
Burger said he was there on behalf of the County Commission "explaining our stance and asking for your support."
The current half-cent law enforcement tax was approved by voters in April 2000 with an eight-year sunset to pay for the construction of a new jail. "The jail will be paid for in August of 2008," he noted.
Burger said the law enforcement fund requires transfers from general revenue in excess of $1 million every year and "the cost of law enforcement isn't going to go down."
A perpetual law enforcement sales tax would free up general revenue funds for things like improving county roads, Burger said.