L&T Publisher Earl Watt
As local residents begin to receive their tax statements, it may seem there is little to be thankful for this holiday season.
Seward County leadership has done little to make their case for such a large increase beyond blaming the public for not attending the budget session meetings or demanding the public come up with a plan to reduce county expenses.
In other words, we the people should be doing the work we elected commissioners to do.
Commissioner Steve Helm has taken the lead on reviewing the numbers and looking for ways to reduce expenses. It is unlikely he will get much support from the Taxing Trio who are committed to whatever plan they are told will prevent the perceived mass resignations from the staff who are working themselves “to the bone,” according to Administrator April Warden.
Helm and I do not always agree, and I don’t know what Helm is proposing other than he has claimed publicly that his cuts would not affect employees or benefits.
Helm and I disagreed on the school bond project. I supported the plan to build five more schools while Helm did not support it. I would hope we both can accept the judgment of history that 10 years into the new schools they have turned out to be not only a wise investment but a very well-designed financial package.
I am not and have never been a “no new taxes” guy, and the school bond along with support of the Focus on the Future 1-cent sales tax is proof.
I have always stated I support public engagement and input on plans. The two taxes mentioned above were supported by public votes with both receiving 75 percent and above support of the community.
But the recent massive tax hike by Seward County took into account zero public involvement. There was no attempt to concede an inch to the people, no effort to compromise and require county leadership to work within its means.
Now is the time for Helm to shine and deliver the hard reality of what has to be done to stop the excessive spending that has all but run the bank dry on a $7.6 million surplus inherited when Tammy Sutherland-Abbott, Scott Carr and Presephoni Fuller were elected.
And the Taxing Trio has not only injected a major tax increase on the public under the false belief that they are simply ahead of the curve and that other entities will have to have massive increases in coming years as well, but they have also led the community to lose hope in its own future as many across Kansas are looking at Seward County and asking what went wrong with these commissioners.
It was never about the ethanol plant. Never was.
By following the conversations, this was always about justifying spending levels and increases at the county.
It was never about county roads. Had the half-cent sales tax passed, which I opposed and it failed three to one, there was a false belief the money could have been used to pay bond payments for previous road repairs. That would have been against the law. It could have only been spent on future repairs and maintenance, and more than likely the new tax would have replaced part of the current road and bridge budget which would have been diverted to other county spending.
That is speculation on my part, but I don’t think that apple falls far from the tree.
It was shared at a recent Seward County Republican meeting that a pair of investment projects in Seward County have been suspended or moved. These projects were in the millions, but the Trio either doesn’t understand or chose to ignore the economic consequences of their decision.
The housing expansion recently experienced in Liberal has also cooled, not because of the innovation and willingness to work with tax policy by city leaders on the long term benefits of the additional housing, but because of the regressive cash grab of the county that takes money out of both the pockets of developers and potential home buyers.
There seems to be little to be thankful for this holiday season.
But do not despair.
Because Seward County believes itself untouchable, they have made serious errors in their Revenue Neutral Rate process, and there is hope that once all the facts are presented to the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals that this injustice can be corrected.
Take hope that many in your community are dedicating their own time and resources on your behalf to seek out information not shared with you before and are bringing to light how the county has operated and how much of your money they’ve spent defending their positions, many times against their own citizens.
Citizens have also exposed how documents were signed in violation of the Kansas Open Meetings Act as well as without a vote of the commission as a whole.
More and more, we are seeing the inner workings come into view, and while this may be a dark time because of the Trio, the light is starting to shine.
Take hope that the public does care, is engaged and will not be silenced.
Take hope that this injustice is being challenged.
Take hope that the Taxing Trio must face the voters next August.
Take hope that an amendment to the Kansas Constitution will prevent this from ever happening again.
Believe in your fellow citizens if not in your county leadership.
Our system of government may allow for such abuses to occur, but only for a short time.
This year, be thankful the people are standing up for themselves and for you.
