Joplin Progress Committee has $4,000 in bank

It is still a few months before it is time for Joplin City Council and Joplin R-8 Board of Education filings to open for next April's election, but the Joplin Progress Committee is already collecting money for a second go-round.

According to its quarterly financial disclosure form, filed today with the Missouri Ethics Commission, the committee received $1,828.46 in the past three months, giving it $4,402.67 in the bank.

Of that total, $555.36 came from Mayor Michael Seibert's campaign committee, the Committee to Re-Elect Seibert, and the other $1,273.57 came from the Re-Elect Woolston, the Tornado Mayor Committee, the committee for Councilman Mike Woolston.

The Joplin Progress Commitee, which was formed late last year by a collection of special interests that wants the city of Joplin and the Joplin R-8 School District to follow the paths outlined by former City Manager Mark Rohr and master developer David Wallace of Wallace-Bajjali, poured money into city council and school board races and made endorsements.

The committee elected all of its candidates to the City Council, and two of the three who were elected to the Board of Education had the committee's stamp of approval.