Lyon County commissioners passed the 2010 budget Thursday morning during a public budget hearing, raising the mill levy 3.192 mills.
Last year’s mill levy in Lyon County was 46.641. In 2010, that levy will be 49.832. A mill in Lyon County raises $232,000. The mill levy is still a decrease over 2008’s numbers.
The budget passed 3-0 Thursday morning after discussion between commissioners, County Controller Dan Slater and Bob Agler of A&M Consultants.
Before passing the budget, commissioners talked about several concerns including what impact 2010’s budget will have on future budgets. Commissioners also talked about the need to replenish the county’s multi-year capital outlay fund.
“It’s been a real lifesaver tool that you’ve been able to use through the years,” Agler said.
Slater said the 2010 budget is doable, however, the county can’t spend all the money that is in the budget.
“We can’t eat everything that’s on our plate,” Slater said. “It’s out there because to be honest it might be needed.”
Lyon County Commission Chairman said he didn’t want to cut services in the county.
“The services that we are funding are very vital to the people of Lyon County,” he said.
Commission Vice-Chairman Rollie Martin said planning ahead will be important.
“ I think it would be a good idea at the first of the year for us to sit down and develop a plan,” Martin said. “I think it’s kinda hard to project on a budget a year and a half in advance. I think every four to six months we need to re-visit it and give some directive.”
In other matters, commissioners approved the contract between Lyon County and Flint Hills Community Health Center. The contract is for 10 years.
On the consent agenda commissioners:
• Approved the request from Jim Brull to have the Highway Department return to a 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. work schedule.
• Approved a request for second entrance at Greg and Holly French and rocking approximately 250 feet of dirt road.
• Issued a permit for Shown-Carter Construction Inc.’s request to open cut Road 150 between Roads X and Y.
• Approved the request of Lyon County Rural Water District No. 1 to sponsor their Kansas Department of Commerce Community Development Block Grant.
b3bill (anonymous) says...
Goal #1 for the county commissioners needs to be working very diligently in getting the mill levy reduced as promised if the additional 1% sales tax was passed in the 2008 vote. It does not matter if any or all commissioners serving were or were not serving when the 1% tax vote was taken. The obligation to reduce the mill levy remains as long as the 1% tax is being collected. Due to the screw up of not knowing the tax law details, which caused the new 1% tax to be started later than expected, there is now a mill levy increase, along with the 1% tax. At least that's one excuse given for increasing the mill levy this year.
If the county commissioners want to retain any credibility with their constituents, they must reduce the next mill levy to the level as promised with the 1% tax vote. The 1% tax will have then been collected over an even longer time period than what was planned for the initial election-promised mill levy reduction. It is not acceptable for the county commissioners to use an increased mill levy as the basis for applying the reduction from the 1% tax revenues, then telling everyone the obligations of the 1% tax vote were met.
All tax increase proposals should be required to have the stipulation that if all the obligations of the tax increase are not met within a specified time, that the tax is immediately abolished and would require another election to start up again. At this point, I'm thinking the next mill levy won't be reduced due to all kinds of budget excuses, but yet the 1% tax will remain. That would be a totally unacceptable combination.
September 5, 2009 at 8:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justthinkin (anonymous) says...
Seems like b3bill can see the future quite clearly. I'm sure next year at this time, the County will have the excuses lined out for their next mill increase. Promises & statements mean nothing to this group. I do like the idea of if all obligations are not met it requires a new vote. But, promises can be twisted, just like the "lack of knowledge" of tax law. There was absolutely no excuse for that, as far as I'm concerned.
September 5, 2009 at 9:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
I am betting that there will be another tax mil levy increase in the not to distant future, because the 3 mill levy approved this time will mysteriously not be enough to cover some expenditures and mysteriously now needed equipment, etc. that was over looked, left out or cost more than expected, when a 3 mill levy was agreed upon !
Hows that for an excuse to raise taxes even more !
It would seem that things seem to have a way of being either mis-calculated or things cost more, etc. And remember a 3 mill increase is less than what the commissioners first quoted as what was needed, keep this in mind also !
Remember accountants & controllers are kind of like lawyers, they have a talent for making things seem that they are better than they actually are and are very adept at missleading the general public and can sugar coat just about anything with their silver tongued rhetoric !
September 5, 2009 at 9:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )