LAST WEEK on KVOE radio, Steve Sauder talked about how Lyon County has one of the highest mill levies of any Kansas county with a first class city. Sauder also commented on how taxes levied by the county have increased 59 percent in just six years.
Sauder ended his talk by asking listeners whether our community could afford the status quo.
When our county has one of the highest tax burdens in the state, it is an obvious sign that our community is in need of help and we cannot continue in the same direction.
On Nov. 7, voters will decide if they want to hire a county administrator to help solve the problem.
On first appearance, it may be hard to see the need for an administrator. After all, we have gone all these years without one. Who wants to add another expense?
But when you look at our community’s big picture and see our county taxes increasing and ranking near the top in the state, it is obvious that we need to try something new.
An experienced full-time administrator to run the county would be able to streamline county government by looking at consolidation opportunities. Consolidation efforts could reduce budgets, save money and thus reduce taxes. Also, an administrator would help eliminate politics in the decision-making process, and the community would know where the buck stops.
The county government is one of Emporia’s biggest and most complicated businesses. We wouldn’t think of running a million dollar business without a manager and we shouldn’t think of running the county without one.
The money for these changes has been approved for this year so we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We should try an administrator for a couple of years and, if our community does not see improvements, then we can go back to the way things were done in the past.
Do we really want our community to be known for having some of the highest taxes in the state? I don’t think so.
Let’s be a community that is willing to make changes, be proactive and work toward a bright future.
There are two weeks until the election. We hope you will take time to look at your tax bills and decide if they are too high. If they are, then vote yes to hire a county administrator.
Christopher White Walker
Editor & Publisher