Charleston, Missouri - Community Services

Location

Charleston is located:

• Midway between St. Louis, Missouri, and Memphis, Tennessee
• Midway between Chicago, Illinois, and New Orleans, Louisiana
• Midway between Detroit, Michigan, and Houston, Texas
• Midway between Indianapolis, Indiana, and Little Rock, Arkansas
• Midway between Louisville, Kentucky, and Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Midway between Nashville, Tennessee, and Springfield, Missouri
• Midway between Birmingham, Alabama, and Kansas City, Missouri

Charleston City Hall is located at Latitude +36.9250 Longitude -89.3499.  The city lays level in a natively inhabited high prairie atop an ancient alluvial plain.  Average elevation within the city is 322 feet above mean sea level.

Charleston is situated in the Bootheel of Missouri.  Missouri's Bootheel is traditionally and culturally defined as the six Southeast Missouri counties of Stoddard, Scott, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, and Dunklin.  The Bootheel comprises the northernmost reach of the Mississippi River Delta area, an expansive, fertile, productive valley extending southward along the river to the Gulf of Mexico.  The Bootheel is part of the broader Southeast Missouri region popularly known as SEMO.

Land Area

Charleston:  4.796 square miles.

Zip Code Tabulation Area 63834:  248.909 square miles

Note:  Zip Code Tabulation Area 63834 encompasses portions of Mississippi and Scott Counties in Missouri, including Charleston, Wyatt, Anniston, Diehlstadt, and outlying areas.

Population

Charleston:  5,947

Zip Code Tabulation Area 63834:  7,135

Housing Units

Charleston:

• Total Units  1,883
• Occupied Units  1,705
  • Owner Occupied Units  960
  • Renter Occupied Units  745

Zip Code Tabulation Area 63834:

• Total Units  2,431
• Occupied Units  2,187
  • Owner Occupied Units  1,315
  • Renter Occupied Units  872

Source Land Area, Population, Housing Units:  U. S. Census Bureau - 2010 Census

Government

Federal

Charleston is in Missouri's Eighth United States Congressional District.

Charleston is in the Eastern Missouri District of the United States Federal Court.

State

Charleston is in Missouri's 25^th State Senatorial District.

Charleston is in Missouri's 148^th State House of Representatives District.

Charleston is in Missouri's 33^rd Judicial Circuit Court.

County

Charleston is the County Seat of Mississippi County, Missouri.  County offices are located in the Mississippi County Courthouse on North Main Street in Charleston.

City

Charleston is a Missouri City of the Third Class.  The town of Charleston was initially laid out in 1837, selected as County Seat in 1845 when Mississippi County was created from a portion of Scott County, and incorporated by the State of Missouri in 1872.

Charleston is governed by and through the Council - Manager form of city government.  A five person City Council is elected at large from within the city to staggered three year terms during city elections.  The City Council employs a City Manager and staff to conduct the daily business of the city.  The City Council meets monthly at Charleston City Hall.

Schools

Public Schools

Charleston R-1 School District, pre-K through 12^th grade, fully accredited by the State of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, serves the community.

Charleston school colors are Royal Blue and White.  Charleston school teams are The Bluejays.

Private Schools

The Charleston area is served, pre-K through 8^th grade, by St. Henry School, a private Roman Catholic elementary school located in Charleston on the campus of St. Henry Parish.

St. Henry school colors are Maroon and Gold.  St. Henry school teams are The Trojans.

Higher Education

Several institutions of higher education, including two universities, are within a comfortable daily commuting distance from Charleston.

Taxation and Fees

Real and Personal Property Taxes

Taxes against real estate and personal property located within the city limits of Charleston are levied as follows:

Ad Valorem Tax Levy expressed as Dollars per $100 Assessed Valuation
as of 2012 Tax Year

Taxing Jurisdiction	Tax Levy
City of Charleston	$0.8800 *
Mississippi County Library District	$0.2048
Mississippi County Ambulance District	$0.2992
Mississippi County Senate Bill #40	$0.1229
Mississippi County Health Department	$0.0998
Mississippi County General Revenue	$0.3200
Mississippi County Road & Bridge	$0.3491
Mississippi County Johnson Grass	$0.0498
Charleston R-1 School District	$2.7500
Total	$5.0756
* City Allocation - General Fund:  $0.7000;  Park Fund:  $0.1800
Source:  Office of the County Clerk - Mississippi County, Missouri

Sales Tax

Sales Tax expressed as Percentage of Purchase Price
as of 2012 Tax Year

Taxing Jurisdiction	Tax Percentage
State of Missouri Sales Tax	3.000%
State of Missouri Conservation Tax	0.125%
State of Missouri Park & Soil Tax	0.100%
State of Missouri Education Tax	1.000%
Mississippi County General Tax	0.500%
Mississippi County Law Enforcement Tax	0.500%
Mississippi County General (Roll Back) Tax	0.500%
Mississippi County Senior Citizens Tax	0.250%
City of Charleston General Tax	1.000%
City of Charleston Transportation Tax	0.500%
Total	7.475%
Source:  Office of the City Manager - City of Charleston, Missouri

Residential Water, Sewer, and Trash Service

City of Charleston, Missouri
Residential Water, Sanitary Sewer, and Solid Waste Service
Flat Rate expressed as Dollars per Month
as of Fiscal Year 2012

City Service	Monthly Fee
Water	$18.59
Tax	$  1.39
Sanitary Sewer	$21.45
Solid Waste Service	$12.82
Total	$54.25
Source:  Office of the City Manager - City of Charleston, Missouri

Water and Sewer Rates:  Metered Commercial and Industrial Consumers

City of Charleston, Missouri
Commercial and Industrial Water Rates for Metered Users
as of Fiscal Year 2012

Water - Monthly Rates
$15.17 minimum charge for usage up to 10,000 gallons
$  1.13 per 1,000 gallons for each additional 1,000 gallons* for the next 1,990,000 gallons
$  3.49 per 1,000 gallons for each additional 1,000 gallons* for the next 5,000,000 gallons
$  5.68 per 1,000 gallons for all over 7,000,000 gallons
* or fraction thereof
Sewer - Monthly Rates  (based upon metered Water Usage)
$21.66 minimum charge for usage up to 10,000 gallons
$  0.94 per 1,000 gallons for each additional 1,000 gallons* for the next 1,990,000 gallons
$  3.07 per 1,000 gallons for each additional 1,000 gallons* for the next 5,000,000 gallons
$  4.70 per 1,000 gallons for all over 7,000,000 gallons
* or fraction thereof
Source:  Office of the City Manager - City of Charleston, Missouri

Franchise Fees

The City of Charleston collects franchise taxes from utility providers, such as electric, natural gas, telephone, and cable television companies.  Those collected taxes augment the city's General Fund.

Utilities

Electricity

Ameren Missouri provides electrical connections within the city limits of Charleston.

SEMO Electric Cooperative provides electrical connections outside the city limits of Charleston.

Natural Gas

Liberty Energy provides natural gas service within the city limits of Charleston.

Water, Sewer, and Solid Waste

The City of Charleston provides potable water and sanitary sewer systems within the city limits.  Solid waste services are privately contracted by the city.  Trash pickup is scheduled weekly, and the trash is trucked by the contractee to licensed landfills located outside the county.

The Mississippi County Water District provides potable water service to areas outside the city limits of Charleston.  The Charleston Water Treatment Plant delivers treated water to district customers in the northern portion of the district.

High-quality ground water is available from shallow wells (100 feet) in great abundance for industrial or irrigation purposes.  Private wells outside the city limits should be registered with the Southeast Missouri Regional Water District.

Telephone

AT&T provides residential land-line telephone service to residents of the area.

Various telephone companies provide business land-line telephony services to area businesses.

AT&T and Verizon provide clear cellular telephone signals around the area.

Enhanced 911 emergency telephone service is provided by local government.

Cable Television

Charter Communications provides cable television services within the city limits of Charleston.

Internet

High speed Internet services are available within the city limits of Charleston and around the area from various vendors.

Transportation

Interstate Highway System

Interstate Highway 57 passes through the city limits of Charleston.  Charleston is directly served by two interchanges within the city limits connecting the city with access to Interstate 57.

Interstate Highway 55 is a ten minute drive west from Charleston.

Interstate Highway 24 is less than an hour's drive from Charleston east along U. S. Highway 60.

Trucking

Charleston is home to several locally-based long and short haul trucking companies, and is within 15 minutes of several national trucking company terminals.

Railroad

Charleston is within 20 minutes driving time of national railroad services.

Charleston is about an hour driving time from each of the two nearest Amtrak train stations.  Board the Texas Eagle at the Poplar Bluff (PBF) station, or board the City of New Orleans, the Illini, or the Saluki at the Carbondale (CDL) station.

Public Transportation

Mississippi County Transit is a public transportation service for residents of Mississippi County, Missouri.  Mississippi County Transit offers public transportation to medical appointments, social engagements, shopping excursions, personal appointments, senior centers, or any other place needed for transportation within normal business hours.

Contact Mississippi County Transit by telephone at (573) 649-3166.

Air Travel

Mississippi County Airport (CHQ), with a 3,196 x 60 foot paved and lighted runway for small planes, is four miles south of Charleston.

A 5,502 x 100 foot paved and lighted runway is available at Sikeston (SIK), a fifteen minute drive west from Charleston.

Daily scheduled jumper-flight domestic airline services are available within a thirty minute drive north, Cape Girardeau (CGI), or a forty minute drive east, Paducah (PAH), from Charleston.

International airports are located 2 1/2 hours north, St. Louis (STL), 2 1/2 hours south, Memphis (MEM), and 3 hours east, Nashville (BNA), driving time from Charleston.

River Crossings

Charleston is served by two bridges and one ferry crossing the Mississippi River.  The next crossing upstream is 40 minutes away, and the next crossing downstream is an hour away.

Medical Services

Clinics and Physicians' Services

Charleston is home to three medical clinics.  The Mississippi County Health Department, Missouri Delta Medical Center, and Ferguson Medical Group maintain clinics within the city limits of Charleston.  St. Francis Healthcare System shares resources with Charleston Family Care located at the intersection of Main and Pecan Streets in Charleston.

Dialysis Center

Fresenius Medical Care operates the Mississippi County Dialysis Center at 2402 South Main Street in Charleston.

Hospitals

Full service hospitals are located within 20 minutes and 40 minutes of Charleston.

Dentistry

A dental office located in downtown Charleston serves the city and surrounding area.

Ambulance Services

The Mississippi County Ambulance District delivers ambulance services from its centrally located headquarters four miles south of Charleston by qualified EMTs available 24 hours per day.

The Mississippi County Rescue Squad maintains a 24 hour helipad within the city limits of Charleston for emergency medical air ambulance use.

Nursing Home

N&R of Charleston, LLC, operates Charleston Manor, a 120 bed skilled nursing facility in Charleston.

Veterinary Services

A Veterinary Hospital with holding pens and facilities to treat both large and small animals is located in Charleston.