Join this century
Join this century
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
ON NOV. 7, Lyon County residents will have an opportunity to address issues which will set the stage for the Lyon County area’s future. “Yes” votes on Question 1 and 2 of the ballot will provide for professional management of our county government which currently oversees the annual allocation and spending of over $11 million in taxpayer funds.
A county administrator and a five-member county commission structure is a first step toward the goal of business, population and cultural growth and provides a means for the county’s future survival. By voting “Yes” and taking this first step, we can begin the process of evaluation of all current governmental offices, departments, services and structures with an eye toward controlling costs, consolidation services and reducing taxes.
Western Kansas counties are beginning to organize and are proposing merging city and county governments to reduce costs and stop the population drains. Emporia and Lyon County are barely breaking even with regard to private-sector job retention, but we are experiencing an upward trend in the public sector. This trend in government growth has resulted in a dramatic increase in service costs and higher tax burdens.
Efforts are underway in the Legislature that will enable local governments to restructure, lower costs and consolidate without mandated duplication of services. By having a system of professional management in place, I feel we will be better positioned to implement changes and mergers of services in a timely and organized manner. Our efforts will result in lower cost for services to our citizens.
We can all bring Lyon County into the 21st century. Outdated management structures have resulted in our county having the second-highest mill levy among all Kansas counties with first-class cities. Continued tax burdens at current levels will make future economic development and growth difficult, if not impossible. More private sector, highly skilled jobs will be the only way Lyon County can expand its population and trained workforce. We must begin now to provide for the survival of our communities during the 21st century and beyond.
I urge all citizens of Lyon County to vote “YES” on Question 1 and Question 2 on Nov. 7.