L&T Publisher Earl Watt
When Seward County met Sept. 10 in a work session to discuss the massive tax increase a week before it was passed, there were statements made about the valuation of Seward County being stagnant, and the mill levy being stagnant.
Neither are true, but there were other statements made from that meeting that were also of interest.
Dustin Ormiston of Hay, Rice and Associates who audits the Seward County budget sat in on the work session, and after comments made by Steve Helm addressed areas that could be considered in future budgeting sessions, Ormiston suggested being “aggressive” if there were to be any stabilization or mill reductions next year.
In addition, he pointed out that action would be needed to build reserve funds.
But he was clear as to an area that was causing increased cost.
“Employee benefits, like Steve said, that is the inflation in your budget that has been exorbitant,” Ormiston said.
Exorbitant.
For an accountant, that’s a serious word to drop.
When Commissioner Scott Carr asked Commissioner Todd Stanton if he wanted to support the 13.84 mill increase, Stanton replied by saying, “I think that’s going to cause a significant hardship.”
Later, Administrator April Warden said, “The problem is this has been going on for 20 years.” She added, “Maybe even longer” referring to a “stagnant” valuation.
It’s a good thing that records are kept of such blatantly false statements.
Unfortunately three commissioners bought that misinformation.
Above you can see the chart of property valuations and the amount of tax collected on that property county-wide in the last 25 years.
The chart is anything but stagnant.
There are up years and down years, but from one end to the next, it is far from stagnant.
Starting with valuations, the worth of the entire county was $192 million. In 2024, that valuation had grown to $263 million — a 36 percent increase. At one time valuation was as high as $316 million.
According to the Consumer Price Index which measures for inflation, the $192 million in 2000 would be worth $232 million today. That means the valuation increase to $262 million has outpaced inflation by $30 million. Clearly valuations have not been stagnant and have outpaced inflation by a good 10 percent.
So any claim that valuations have been stagnant in the past 20-plus years is dishonest.
How about the mill levy?
In 2000 the Seward County mill levy was 23.945. In 2024 it is 43.414, and with the contested massive increase of this year, Seward will be at 57-plus mills.
Just sticking with 2024, that means the mill levy has increased by about 20 mills in the past 25 years. Does that sound stagnant?
How much money does that produce?
In 2000, Seward County brought in $4.6 million in property taxes. In 2024, Seward County brought in $11.4 million in property taxes.
That’s an increase of 147 percent.
Maybe that went over your head, so I will type it again — your property tax income to the county has increased 147 percent before the massive tax increase currently proposed.
Again I ask you, does that sound stagnant?
Who says this stuff?
Your county leadership is trying to convince you that this massive tax increase is necessary because of stagnation. They want you to believe raising your taxes 147 percent in the last 25 years isn’t enough. They want you to believe that property valuations have remained flat despite an increase beyond that of inflation for the past 25 years.
The City of Liberal has been carrying the weight for our friends who live in the country. Farm values and mineral depletions have led to declines, but valuation increases on city-owned property have made up the difference. The fact is Liberal residents, who are also Seward County residents, have seen a shifted burden of carrying the tax load because of depletion in oil and gas as well as crop production and market values.
That has stabilized and expanded county revenue.
The problem is simple, it’s not an income problem, it’s not a stagnation problem. It’s “exorbitant” spending.
When Commissioner Steve Helm suggested if there was stagnation, then expenditures should be based on that, Warden replied with the typical big government response.
“So get rid of people, and who’s providing services for your county? Because I’m going to tell you, some of us our working ourselves to the bone to try to do it,” she said.
To the bone. I think Warden is being compensated very well and has enjoyed time off. Not everyone working private sector jobs can make that claim.
Commissioner Presephoni Fuller showed how tone deaf she is when she said, “When you go to the grocery store, a lot of people aren’t buying beef any more. They’re buying chicken or sausage or turkey.”
And yet she voted to take even more money from those people to put even less on their dinner table so the county can continue to grow staff, provide raises and “exorbitant” benefits so they don’t have to work themselves “to the bone.”
It’s based on a lie. Valuation is up, property tax revenue is way up, and a willingness to spend it all is at an all-time high.
Only Stanton was willing to speak on behalf of the taxpayers.
“You have a defined pot of money,” he said. “Beyond that, you are inflicting misery on a great number of citizens.”
