Supporters of the Emporia Municipal Band asked for a little more money Tuesday night in the last of a series of public forums on the 2008 city budget.
Earlier versions of the budget had cut the band’s $15,000 funding entirely. The current draft sets aside $7,500 for the group, which some band supporters said was still too low.
“I think the amount that has been proposed is hopelessly inadequate and a little insulting,” Larry Alderson, a long-time band member, told city commissioners in the forum held at First Christian Church.
The city’s present budget proposal is an attempt to balance the budget without raising taxes. City Manager Matt Zimmerman said this version tries to make the cuts shallow and broad, spreading the pain around without going too deep.
Much of the band’s money goes to pay the musicians, who get between $20 and $40 for a concert if they also attend the week’s rehearsal. The highest pay rate only goes to musicians who have been with the band more than 20 years.
Band member James Hill said the wages come to about $7 an hour, which he called equivalent to a babysitter or fast-food employee.
“The only difference between the musicians and those people is they don’t have to ask ‘Do you want fries with that march?’” said Hill, who has been with the band for more than 50 years.
The band’s money is also used to buy music and stands, to pay director Gary McCarty and announcer Roger Hartsook, and to save up for large instruments that are presently borrowed from the Emporia school district.
As a non-profit, Hill said he didn’t think the band was allowed to do its own fund-raising. Others at the meeting quickly disputed that and said a non-profit band could help itself if it wanted to.
“Why doesn’t the band raise its own money?” county resident Jan Jagaard said. “It’s not the job of the city to pay for a band.”
Jaggard, a former Didde employee, was among those left jobless when the company announced massive layoffs in 2000, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and eventually shut down altogether in 2001. She had had to learn how to live on a lean budget, she said — which included learning the difference between wants and needs.
The band, she said, was a want. So, in her view, was the taxi coupon service which the city may reduce funding for this year. The coupons allow cheaper fares for elderly and disabled riders.
“You never turn your back on people who need your help,” Jaggard acknowledged. “But how many options do you need? The bus service works very well.”
Ray Terrell, meanwhile, asked why most golf fees were going up by 10 percent when the rates were already fairly expensive. Money could be saved and a more challenging course created, he said, by allowing some more rough to grow.
“The present course superintendent, it seems like all he wants to do is mow, mow, mow,” he said.
Zimmerman said the city believed its fees to be competitive. The city was discussing some changes at the course, he added, including not only rough areas but also a larger pond that could cut water costs and improve play.
In response to other questions by Terrell, Zimmerman said Emporia was looking at a rental fee for its parks. A fee for the zoo was considered, he said, but to do it without hurting attendance would require a rate that wouldn’t even pay for the ticket-taker.
“We are one of only five zoos in the Midwest that doesn’t charge a fee, so that is something we have to consider,” he acknowledged.
Nina West asked how much the reserves need to be built up and whether some of the money slated for there could be used on projects like the heating and cooling controls for White Auditorium. Zimmerman answered that, unlike some prior drafts, this version of the budget puts no additional money into the reserves beyond the $383,000 that’s already there.
Commissioner Jeff Longbine added that that was thinner than he really wanted.
“That’s about 10 days worth of operating funds,” he said. “I don’t know many entities, whether they’re families, households, businesses or municipalities that can comfortably operate on 10 days’ reserve. If the boiler went down and we had absolutely no reserves, we’d have to bond it, and I don’t think that’s good fiscal policy.”
Some criticized a proposed fee for fire service, or proposed cuts to the city’s health insurance and worker’s compensation funds. Commissioners have also been uncomfortable with those moves and the cuts are unlikely to be made — but, Longbine noted, those three items together equal about one mill of property tax.
County budgets did come in for some discussion. Former county commissioner Myron Van Gundy suggested that the county might save some money by cuts to its social programs.
“They’re all good programs that all have very good people,” Van Gundy said. “But I don’t know if it’s the duty of the taxpayers of Lyon County and the city of Emporia to pay for all of that ourselves.”
County Commissioner Bob Davis noted that some of the county’s social services do manage to help themselves. He pointed to the Mental Health Center which he said brought in 63 percent of its revenue from its patients.
“That’s remarkable and they need to be commended,” he said.
Industrial incentives and recruitment also came up for discussion. Janet Haag, who lives near Industrial Park III, asked if the city could require new industries to stay longer than 10 years so they could be assured of going on the tax rolls. Most recruited industries receive a 10-year property tax exemption.
“We have no real ability to make a company stay in town,” Longbine said.
Most do tend to stay anyway, Longbine said, with the recently closed Lenze being a rare exception. But, he added, that company came to town in part because it was a supplier to Didde. After Didde closed, Lenze had to re-evaluate its options when its 10-year lease on the land expired.
“Since Didde was no longer here, they didn’t find it profitable to maintain a plant in Emporia to supply a plant that is no longer here,” Longbine said.
Zimmerman also noted that the industrial incentives weren’t a freebie. Companies like Lenze have to provide good-paying jobs to get them, he said, and they do.
“Lenze may have left but we got 10 years of good jobs,” he said.
As at previous forums, several people acknowledged that the city had a hard job on its hands. Wishes for luck or little bits of advice were common.
“A lot of it is, you’ve got to respect that you’re spending someone else’s money,” Jaggard said. “Just because someone hands you $100 doesn’t mean you have to spend it all.”
MelissaE (anonymous) says...
Very interesting.
Jan Jaggard doesn't think the band needs more money but Jan Jaggard's husband is Rich Jaggard who is either the golf course manager or the manager of the golf course's store.
Hmmmm.
Melissa
August 15, 2007 at 11:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
siamesefred (anonymous) says...
The Rich Jaggard connected to the golf course lives inside the city limits. This story identifies Jan Jaggard as a county resident, not city.
August 15, 2007 at 11:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
Get rid of L-Cat and put some of that money into cab custom rides. Cut 100% of extension
August 15, 2007 at 12:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justthinkin (anonymous) says...
I don't know if Jan Jaggard is Mrs Rich Jaggard or not. It is sort of hard to tell, because at one place the name is spelled Jagaard and another it is Jaggard. Anyway, the last time I looked, Emporia was in Lyon County, so if this person lives in Emporia, I think they are a Lyon County resident.
August 15, 2007 at 1:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
47hclwym (anonymous) says...
Where this jaggard lives in not the issue people. Who gives a flying rat. Stay on topic. 1.band. cry a river you are lucky you are getting $7500 and not zilch. 2. Zoo? What zoo. Not worth going to for free let alone be charged. Ok maybe if you are under 4 years old its worth going. 3. L-cat and cabs. The older people and disabled need that cheep transpertation because the illegals are getting their SS checks. $. Golf Course. The people that use it can well afford a rate hike. Go ahead get mad and call me names for seeing through the bull crap. I don't give a $%#@. Smile and have a nice day. ;)
August 15, 2007 at 3:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wookdog13 (anonymous) says...
The Jan you are all talking about lives in the Plymouth area.
August 15, 2007 at 4:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wookdog13 (anonymous) says...
forgot to mention that she is the sister to Rich at the golf course. This is fact!!
August 16, 2007 at 8:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Firecracker (anonymous) says...
Hey 47hclwym------ You've hit the nail straight on the head buddy! That is my opinion too! Keep in mind that the city commissioners are in bed with alot of the people at the Zoo and the Golf Course. God knows they wouldn't want to screw a "good old boy buddy" so the funding for those two items will I assume remain intact. Each one of the commissioners are on the commission for personal reasons, and personal agendas. I think we've seen first hand especially with Agler, and you will see it soon with Longbine that they are serving only to further their personal agendas and businesses. WAKE UP EMPORIA - you voted to put these creeps into office!
August 16, 2007 at 10:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mythoughts (anonymous) says...
What about those lawnmowers for $9,000 to cover the 30 sq. ft of grass at the auditorium? I'll bring my mower over and do it for $8,000...$1,000 saved!
August 16, 2007 at 3:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
47hclwym (anonymous) says...
thanks fire and mythoughts I'll help ya for free.
August 16, 2007 at 3:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MelissaE (anonymous) says...
LMAOOOOOOOOOOO
(Yes, I said it AGAIN).
$9,000 for a lawn? Is it the White House?
And, now I know why Jan Jaggard was confused as Rich Jaggard's wife.
Rich Jaggard (of the golf course) has a wife named Jan and a sister named Jan.
M
August 16, 2007 at 5:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mythoughts (anonymous) says...
Wait, wait - I've got it! In addition to the fine for not mowing your own yard, you would have to mow the Auditorium lawn (on schedule) for free as a community service. If there were too many people on the list they could be farmed out to the area parks to mow there. Yes!
August 17, 2007 at 12:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Kelonia (anonymous) says...
KStrebuchet I don't think that you play an instrument or you wouldn't say that. Playing an instrument is constant practice. I wouldn't exactly call it work because I enjoy playing mine (I am not in any band, but play flute and oboe). If you love kids, babysitting is not too hard (I have babysat in the past and now have 4 children of my own). As for fast food....well, yeah, that can be a tough job. Mostly dealing with irate or rude customers. But that can be shrugged off pretty easily (I work in retail).
My point is, we all do different things. Some jobs seem easy to us because we don't know what all goes into doing the job.
August 17, 2007 at 8:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Kelonia (anonymous) says...
If he's been playing for 50 years he still needs constant practice. Any musician could tell you that.
Has he been whining? Haven't paid that much attention....
Maybe I am biased because I totally enjoy the Thurs. night concerts. I wouldn't be able to go if they weren't free. But if I had the money I would pay....it would be worth it to me for the family atmosphere, and my youngest kids have fun while getting exposure to different types of music. Even my teenagers enjoy it.
It's a nice family activity that involves the community. I think that is important. Not only do the kids get exposure to music other than what is on the radio or what their friends listen to, but they see folks of all different ages just relaxing and enjoying themselves.
It's not much to ask anymore.
My perspective comes from the fact that I have moved quite a bit in my adult life. I have lived in large cities to tiny towns. Not one had a free activity like this that brought people of all ages to one place where all could relax and enjoy.
My apologies for assuming you did not play an instrument.
August 19, 2007 at 6:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
Start an endowment at the Community Foundation. Over time there should be folks who might leave a few $$$ to insure the future of band funding.
August 20, 2007 at 4:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )