ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
Community members continue to question the recent double digit hike in Seward County’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
County leaders and one community member talked about the situation at the Nov. 3 commission meeting. Liberal resident Rick Madden, who had spoken at previous meetings, including the Sept. 15 Revenue Neutral Rate public hearing, said he is continuing to look for answers to questions he has had for some time.
“Your silence in not answering these questions shows me one, you’re incompetent to address the questions, or two, you’re ashamed to answer questions by diverting to a different topic of how hard it is to make these decisions when I’m a taxpayer too,” he said in the citizens comments portion of the meeting. “The more you stall, this public is learning about the misuse of public funds and who’s actually running the county.”
Madden said he feels the appearance the county is giving is that Administrator April Warden is telling the commission views that deem to be truthful.
“The commissioners accept that as facts without researching the matter any further,” Madden said. “That’s not what you were elected to do. You should be able to look at these matters from both sides and make your decision what’s best for the public and the county.”
Madden said local residents are seeing the commission only doing what is good for the county.
“The economic impact of your 13-mill increase will have dramatic impact on current and future businesses in this county and has also caused a lot of mistrust in the public about this commission,” he said.
Like others, Madden has concerns about the use of grant money to provide bonuses for department heads and not to provide services as it was intended.
“As a commissioner, being a good steward of taxpayers’ monies is not providing a bonus every year,” he said. “I personally think these salaries are out of whack when you have a department head with three employees, another one 20, some employees who are being paid more than $100,000 a year and you have one with 55 who is only being paid $80,000 a year. It is your job to question the budgets of all these departments and not just its okay from the county administrator.”
Lastly, Madden addressed the suggestion some of had of the county hiring a chief financial officer.
“Personally, I think a forensic audit every two to three years would stop the misuse of public funds the county is responsible for,” he said. “With all that being said, my personal opinion is this is probably the worst county commission Seward County has ever had.”
