L&T Publisher Earl Watt
I’ll be the first to admit not everyone understands journalism the same as someone who is a journalist.
Many have mistaken an opinion column with a news article.
They are very different.
Many were responding to political columns as though they were news articles, and they would have been unacceptable as news but completely well done for the editorial page.
My job, then, was to help make sure the public knew the difference, so we added “OPINION” before all online opinion pieces, and all of a sudden, the confusion went away. The readers could clearly tell they were reading someone’s opinion and not a news article.
But a recent statement shared to the Seward County staff from County Administrator April Warden completely misses the mark.
In what appeared to be a pep talk to staff trying to justify the record tax increase recently supported by the Seward County Commission’s Taxing Trio (Tammy “I’ll Never Raise Your Taxes Until I’m Elected” Sutherland-Abbott, Presephoni Fuller and Scott Carr).
In an email to staff obtained by the Leader & Times from those who don’t support the current direction Warden made the following statement, “Working as a local government employee, who is also a taxpayer, is challenging, especially when we are facing criticism,” the email stated. “We need to recognize citizens have a duty to question how public funds are being spent and to question the process. No one wants to pay higher taxes. We are in their shoes as well, as taxpayers, we just normally have a better understanding of everything because we are working in it, and through it, day after day.”
That’s what she thinks of your knowledge and hers. She just has a better understanding of everything.
Let’s not forget she didn’t know that the DCP settlement was paid off years ago when she said Seward County made its last payment in 2025. Let’s not forget that she claimed No Fund Warrants could only be one year when the statute reads they could be used for up to five years.
Warden claimed jobs were cut but the actual payroll increased by more than a quarter of a million dollars from the same time periods in 2024 and 2025.
I question what better understanding does she claim to have?
I’m sure this is a ploy to garner staff support when clearly it is eroding. As staffers have learned that some have received bonuses and pay raises while others haven’t, I’m sure it creates an uneven perception from the staff on who is the favored and who isn’t.
So you make an appeal that you are their knight in shining armor, “I am here for you, and will help within my professional capacity any way I can.”
A loyalty grab, for sure. Apparently not everyone was on board.
To exacerbate the situation, you claim that this is taking a toll on everyone’s mental health with the following offer, “I know it is emotionally draining and can negatively impact your mental health. Please remember you have access to our Employee Assistance Program and you can call 800-624-5544 or visit eap.lucethealth.com.”
Will that plan work for the taxpayers who can’t sleep at night wondering how they are going to make their next payment? Can they call the hotline for services to see how they will deal with moving in with a family member or having to cut their pills in half because they can’t afford the taxes you just imposed on them? Did you explain it was those pesky taxpayers providing that benefit?
And then you tell them not to pay attention to the public’s outcries. “Try and create some healthy boundaries from social media and news consumption, I have had to, as it can cause you to question your work and its value.”
If you are questioning your work, maybe you should ask yourself if, just maybe, the public has a point.
This is why there is a disconnect between leadership and the people who want to see their county, their family and their businesses prosper. Just when getting ahead, the record-setting tax increase shut down hope for the future. We wouldn’t understand it because we don’t work it or live through it, day in and day out. But she wears our shoes and undertands us. Give me a break.
There are those who have a better understanding, and it’s the people who not only earn a living for themselves but for our public employees as well. They don’t claim to know everything, they are more humble than that.
They don’t like to be belittled or berated by elected officials or paid staff. The public deserves to be respected.
A staff email seeking to insulate those who recommended the massive hike while disrespecting the people who pay the bills is just another example of the brokenness we have in Seward County government.
