Cowley County Commissioners have rejected a nearly five mill increase in next year’s budget and sent the county administrator back to the drawing board to find a way to keep the increase to about two mills.
“What we were initially presented with was unacceptable,” said Commissioner Gary Wilson. “I think 1.8 to two mills…is what we’re trying to shoot for.”
Commissioners held their first budget work session last week. Various department heads presented their budget requests and County Administrator Leroy Alsup presented his areas of responsibility. When the requests were totaled, commissioners found themselves looking at a significant budget increase.
“There are farmers out there who lost their crops this year,” said Commissioner Carmelita Clarkson. “There are people who had property damage to their homes when their basements flooded.
“We can’t put five mills on top of that,” she said.
Compiling the annual budget is one of the toughest jobs for the three elected commissioners, Commissioner Dick Bonfy said. They’ve got to balance the needs of the agencies providing the services to what they feel taxpayers can fund, and be able to explain how they reached their decisions, he said.
“It’s just a problem to fund everybody who wants funds,” Clarkson said.
All three commissioners support two new line items to provide CASA and Big Brothers- Big Sisters with $5,000 each. “They do a lot of good,” Clarkson said.
CASA director Mary Jarvis, who is retiring after the first of the year, asked the commission to help provide insurance for the new director. Bonfy said he didn’t support that particular request but does support providing $5,000 to each of the two entities.
“Mary Jarvis has done a very fine job. Now we’ve got to replace her,” he said.
The sheriff’s department requested four additional positions but may have to settle for two, according to County Clerk Karen Brooks. The Mental Health budget may wind up with? $15,000 less than requested while Cowley County Developmental Services may take a $65,000 hit. It looks like the Cowley County Humane Society will continue with a $20,000 county budget, according to Brooks.
Commissioners have asked County Engineer Dale Steward to put off purchasing any equipment but have maintained funds for road repair materials. “You can’t not repair roads but you can repair equipment and get by another year and take a look at it,” Wilson said.
Another new expense commissioners have to anticipate is the cost of the capital murder trial of Justin Thurber, who is accused of killing a Cowley College student. The case is being prosecuted by Attorney General Paul Morrison, who has filed a notice he intends to seek the death penalty. Cowley taxpayers have to pay Morrison’s expenses. It could take a full mill – or more than $200,000 – to fund the judicial process, Brooks said.
County Treasurer Kathy Foust has to budget for an increase in the cost of publishing the delinquent tax roll while District Court is looking at attorney fees that have been raised to $80 an hour. The court system is also having to pay for an increase in interpreter fees.
Community Corrections is hoping for increased grant money but if it doesn’t come through, the department may experience a $40,000 shortage this budget year and $30,000 the next.
“We haven’t made any final decisions,” Clarkson said. “We may have to give some money back. We may have to make more changes. It’s a real problem this year to fund everybody with what they want.”
Commissioners expect to get a look at a new proposed budget with their recommended changes when they meet in regular session at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
“People want goods and services provided by whomever- county, cities, townships – so we have to look at the total picture. What goods and services to cut back and whether to expand others,” Wilson said.
Clarkson, who used to be county clerk,?complained that the commission hadn’t seen any budget figures before last week’s work session. Tax statements can’t go out until the levy is set and the levy can’t be set (by the county clerk) until the budget is approved.
Brooks said the commission needs to approve a budget for publication at next Tuesday’s meeting since it needs to be published Friday. Ten days have to pass before the public hearing can be held and the final budget can’t be approved until the public hearing is held.
Kansas law requires city and county governments submit their approved budgets to the county clerk by Aug. 25. The county clerk has to establish the mill rates in time for the county treasurer to prepare and mail approximately 30,000 tax statements by Dec. 15, according to Kansas Department of Administration spokesman Mike Handshy. The law does not establish a penalty for late budgets, he said.
“We want to make sure everything is as right as can be before it’s published,” Wilson said. “That’s a lot of money.”
