Small Town News

County hears complaints about budget hike during tough times

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An increase of almost five mills during a tough economy was not palatable for Wabaunsee County residents, and several took time Monday to express their concerns to Wabaunsee County Commissioners.

Shirley Bowen wrote a letter to the editor, which was published in last week's Wabaunsee County Signal-Enterprise, questioning the increases and some line items in the budget.

At Monday's meeting she expressed concern over the way the county's mill levy continues to rise.

"You have this information that shows an increase since 1997, in just the county budget, of 156 percent, " she said. "I believe the budget being presented for 2011 is extremely steep for our current economic conditions and our continued increases are a concern."

Commissioners then invited Bowen to ask her questions.

Bowen said she noted an increase of more than $200.000 in the road and bridge special sales tax and wondered what that item is and how it is used.

Commission Chairman Ervan Stuewe said the county had an election a few years ago and adopted a 0.5 percent sales tax for road and bridge improvements.

Road and Bridge Department Supervisor Les Schrader said the county uses those funds for a myriad of projects, including purchasing right-of-way, providing matching funds for projects such as rebuilding bridges that have been washed out by floods and helping with other needs.

"So that's where a lot of this is coming from, " he said. "It's using money that's out of the sales tax."

County Attorney Norbert Marek and Auditor Randy Gassman explained that there were a few factors in the number being presented differently than last year.

"Part of the way budgets are set up - you're looking at the approved expenditures, " Gassman said. "Part of that unfortunately is a little bit skewed. It's my recommendations to the county that if funds are available in a special fund but not budgeted to be spent they cannot legally be spent."

He said this does not mean the funds necessarily will be spent, but it gives permission for spending to occur if needed.

He said the $418, 000 represented on that line is what is anticipated to be in the fund, but not what is planned to be spent.

"So we're actually building some reserves with this increase?" Bowen said.

Gassman said the special road and bridge fund provides money to be used to help with projects, but is not helping pad the budget.

"So those funds couldn't be used to lower the levy?" Bowen asked.

"Actually, we already are doing that, " Gassman said.

Stuewe said when the sales tax was passed it was with the intention of doing extra projects to help get ahead, but with the way the economy went the commission has ended up using it to help offset the budget and keep the mill levy lower.

"The road and bridge did experience an increase in taxes levied even considering the sales tax dollars, " Bowen noted.

"Of the $418, 000 we took $200.000 to transfer to road and bridge to help lower the levy, " Gassman said. "Despite that, you hit right on the fund that's easily identifiable."

Gassman said road and bridge will go up about 4.5 mills. He said it has been hit hard in the past several years and cash carryovers have dwindled, and this year the commissioners felt it was time to quit taking away from road and bridge.

"That being said, it's just something I would question at this time, " Bowen said.

She questioned a recently published list of about $240, 000 in uncollected taxes from 2009 and asked what is being done to recoup those funds.

Marek said the first time most people are aware of delinquencies is when the list is published.

"Basically it's a three-year process to get from an unpaid tax to being able to have a tax sale, " Marek said.

He outlined the process and said a tax sale is the end result for collecting delinquent taxes.

"Although in many cases the tax sale does not raise the delinquent tax, " Marek said. "Often the tax sale costs more than the county ends up realizing."

He said when budgets are formed they can contemplate a certain amount of delinquency, and Stuewe said many people often come in and redeem their property once it gets to the point of a potential sale.

Treasurer Linda Coon outlined the fees and penalties that accompany late or non-payment, including interest rates calculated to the day and a number of other fees.

"Would the tax rate be too high?" asked Harry Bowen. "If the people are not interested in keeping their property, maybe the tax rate is too high?"

Coon said Wabaunsee County's delinquency rate is low compared to neighboring counties.

Gassman agreed and said when building a budget the county can choose two options. A delinquency rate can be built in and a slightly higher budget prepared, or counties can do a 0 delinquency rate and hope it all comes in, which is what Wabaunsee County does. He said on this model if the money does not come in it just can't be spent.

Commissioners said one factor plaguing them in their budget is that the state legislators in Topeka continue creating exemptions in the county budgeting process and the county's only recourse is to turn to the taxpayers.

"Whenever we lose those things we have no other place to go to make it up, " Stuewe said.

Appraiser Bobby Miller brought a list of some of the major changes, including the machinery and equipment tax, some commercial equipment exemptions, some farm machinery, farm structures predominantly used for storage of hay, class 2 personal property with a purchase price of $750 or less, and others.

Shirley Bowen then asked why the public no longer has access to appraised values, and Miller said that is a programming problem that he is working with vendors to correct.

"I would just leave with a comment that in today's economy I don't believe it's appropriate to raise taxes 12 percent this year."

Stuewe said complaints tend to mostly center on the roads and while Schrader and his crew are working hard the winter weather last year was tough on the budget.

"I think people want to be able to get to or from their homes, " he said.

Harry Bowen said they moved to Wabaunsee County from Pawnee County.

"When we moved here the road conditions made Pawnee County look like they had never been paved or graded or anything, " he said. "If anyone complains about the county's roads here they need to go to Pawnee County on a wet day. For people to complain about these roads is absolutely ridiculous."

Bowen said he is an adjuster and has traveled all over Kansas and he said Wabaunsee County has the best roads in the state.

"You have to appreciate what you've got, " he said. "I know you're trying to make them better, but they're good enough."

Commissioner Jim Suber said he understands, but the bridges keep getting older and he noted that bridges approved for upcoming construction that morning have been in the creeks for a year and a half.

"Does there not come a point where the people living here cannot afford it?" Shirley Bowen asked, and she questioned why county employees were going to be getting an increase at a time when there is no increase.

Peggy Marlow said she believes the outlook is very bleak and that something is going to have to give in the overall budget.

She said in the 1950s roads were the most important thing in the budget and still should be, but she advocated the county needed to look at cuts, even if the cuts were painful. She said the county cannot continue to have increases each year that valuation increases cannot carry.

"I do not see any kind of solution and we surely don't want to lose our county courthouse, " she said.

Ronald Ray, from Maple Hill, said he had a problem with a 9 percent mill levy increase and the county budget going up 11.3 percent.

He also cited employee increases, noting the county is only offering a 1.5 percent cost of living allowance to employees, but is increasing taxes more than 9 percent.

He said looking at numbers some seem out of line and he wondered how funds such as 911 and 911-wireless needed the amounts budgeted for them.

Stuewe said 911 is a mandate issue in which the county is being told it must replace all its road signs.

Ray suggested if each budget line item were considered at a 1.5 percent increase the county likely could save $200.000 to $500.000.

He noted that noxious weed is a one-person office with a $250, 000 budget.

Department Director Tonya Hensley said noxious weed has two full-time employees and must stay within a certain mill levy in order to be allowed to cost-share chemical with landowners. She said if the department falls outside those requirements it will not be allowed to cost-share, which affects landowners.

"Why should it be my responsibility to subsidize them - if they have a farm and ranch, why is that my responsibility?" Ray said.

Suber said he respects Ray's philosophy, but said if noxious weeds are not controlled it would be problematic.

"If we let noxious weeds go they would literally render our whole tax base kaput, " he said. "We have to protect our tax base. We have to protect our people."

He said the health department is similar and is there to help people maintain a baseline of health when they otherwise couldn't afford it. He added that it is the first line of defense against epidemics.

"These things have to be considered, " he said. "We have some social responsibility here. It's not just a business. I'm a conservative, but we have to make allowances for the overall health and wealth of the county."

He said an issue in his commission campaign was that people want health services.

"People want an ambulance, " he said. "I said, 'Take me to town in the back of a pickup truck.' I nearly lost an election over it."

Ray said he doesn't have a problem with spending on roads or public safety, but said he doesn't understand why other agencies have line items, including "mental retardation."

Stephen Anderson asked how many fulltime employees the county has and County Clerk Jennifer Savage said about 60.

Anderson asked how much the county's population had changed since he was on the commission and Savage said it has increased by four people.

He asked why the county now has more employees when population is basically level, and was told there are some new departments, a few more people in some departments and a few fewer in others.

Bobby Daniel said he had looked over the budget and doesn't see where many things could be cut other than the watershed districts or the neighborhood revitalization act.

"You build a house, you start a business, you pay the taxes, " he said.

Others asked about the cost of the Regional Planning Organization and what the county might be giving up or gaining for it.

Stuewe said he is not aware of anything that is being given up but that the county is gaining knowledge and is exploring options available for grant money.

Ray asked again how the county is justifying an 11 percent increase and Stuewe asked him if he would rather not have the ambulance, fire response, road grader or sheriff.

"We went over these and didn't see there was any fluff we could cut away, " he said.

Commissioner Rodney Allen said he doesn't like paying taxes either but that commissioners

tried to be frugal and ended up using all the cash reserves so nothing is left.

Anderson said on July 4 he came in and drove the town's streets. During that drive, he identified 26 homes either for sale or sitting empty. He noted in the past 18 months the newspaper has published more foreclosures or sheriff's sales than in the past 70 years. He said these are tough times and the commission needs to take leadership in figuring out how to cope in the tough times.

Anderson continued that the commission has joined the bandwagon of seeking grants, but that he believes grants are a mortgage on grandchildren.

He suggested the commission pick out people interested in finding solutions and convene with them to find solutions.

"I think that wise people would at least start thinking about it and getting together with other people who have the concerns of Wabaunsee County, " he said.

"We can't afford ourselves, " Suber said. "We haven't been able to for a long time. Let's face the facts."

Delmar Maike said in 1979 he-built an $80, 000 home with $900 in taxes, but that the taxes last year were $2, 800. He said as a retiree, he has his money in CDs and is getting a 1.5 APR return, which is not matching other increases.

"I want you all to know we appreciate you all coming in and we appreciate your comments, " Stuewe said. "We spent a lot of time and we had a lot of headaches over it. Hopefully next year we'll build some of our reserves back and do a better job."

Commissioners closed the hearing and moved unanimously to adopt the budget.

They also adopted budgets for Fire Districts 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, Ambulance District No. 2 and Sewer District No. 1 - Flint View.

They also approved corresponding resolutions authorizing these districts and the county to make increases in the budget.

In other business, Marek presented information on four projects involving small pieces of right-of-way acquisition and of the proper procedure for making those purchases.

County department officials discussed their upcoming meeting of Northeast Kansas County officials, and approved a petition from a township signed by abutting landowners to vacate part of Dawson Hill Road.



Copyright 2010 The Wabaunsee County Signal-Enterprise, Alma, Kansas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2011 The Wabaunsee County Signal-Enterprise Alma, Kansas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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