A meeting to sign and hand out petitions to force a question on this August’s ballot drew a large crowd of interested parties at the Lyon County Courthouse Annex building Saturday morning.
The petition, if successful, will allow Lyon County voters to choose whether to allow the office of Lyon County Extension and Research to merge with the Frontier Extension District currently made up of the extension agencies of Osage and Franklin counties.
About 60 people showed up for the meeting to learn about the petition process, and a steady trickle of people showed up for a couple of hours to sign the petition.
The petition drive was put together by Phil Dillon, and he hosted the meeting along with Steve Corbin. Both said they thought the issue is important enough to be voted on by the public.
“If you support Extension joining the district you should be the first to put your names on this petition,” Corbin said. “Let the people vote on it and if it gets approved, that’s part of the process.”
Corbin assisted Dillon in the process, bringing with him his experience in a previous petition drive to put the city-wide smoking ban up for a vote.
The issue was brought forth after Lyon County Commissioners voted 2-1 in favor of allowing the consolidation in early January. The merger would combine the agencies of the three counties and would shift taxing authority for the extension’s budget from the county to the district. Many in the public have signed the petition out of concern that the merger would mean a tax hike for the people of Lyon County.
The vote came after Lyon County Extension was invited late last year to join the Frontier District. The merger would combine the three counties’ extension agencies and allow them to share agents and services, potentially cutting down on costs and allowing for specialization among the agents.
Opposition to the consolidation was evident during two public hearings that took place during subsequent county commission meetings. After the resolution was approved by the commission and published in the newspaper, Dillon started the petition drive to force a question on the ballot.
“I am encouraged by the size of this grassroots effort,” Dillon said to those gathered at the annex Saturday morning. “This is a question that affects all of us.”
To put the question on the ballot, petitioners will need to collect a total of 990 signatures of registered Lyon County voters, or 5 percent of qualified electors. The signatures collected will have to be verified by the office of Lyon County Clerk Tammy Vopat.
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
This morning, on KVOE talk of Emporia radio show, members of the extension board and extension agents put forth their reasons for supporting joining a district. It's good to get the information out there to the public.
One of the statements made concerned me.
"Don't sign the petition until you get informed on all the issues."
WHAT BETTER WAY TO GET INFORMED THAN TO CALL FOR A PUBLIC VOTE AND HAVE BOTH SIDES OF THE QUESTION ARGUE THEIR POINT?
What is the extension office afraid of?
Don't they believe in the democratic process?
I heard the spokesperson say today that the extension teaches young 4-H'rs about parlimentary rule and the democratic process.
Wouldn't it be wise to practice what they teach?
I urge everyone to sign this petition, by doing so both sides of this question will have 6 months to debate the pros and cons. And in the end, YOU will make the decision on what's best for Lyon County taxpayers.
January 23, 2012 at 4:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
railroadhorn (anonymous) says...
There is a petition page on Facebook that you can ask to have the petition brought by your home to sign. The link is
https://www.facebook.com/petitionlyon...
January 23, 2012 at 9:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
matt (anonymous) says...
Steve if I was to stop by the Town Royal after work is the petition there to sign.
January 24, 2012 at 3:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
Matt, and others,
The front door of the T.R. will be open today from 9 A.M. till noon for those wanting to sign or pick up petitions to circulate. Not all of my staff are registered voters in Lyon County so other times are kind of iffy for now.
Usually Linda or I are there after 5 P.M. for a couple of hours, and we can do it. Becky can take signatures if she is working.
January 24, 2012 at 7:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Have they stopped teaching " parlimentary rule and democratic process " in our public schools, to the point that the extension district has to teach the children what should be a standard course of learning in our public schools ?
Again, the implication/excuse for the Lyon County Extension District and Lyon County Commission for this decision seems to be " Its for the Kids " !! Which seems to be and has been the excuse for decisions that have cost the City, County taxpayers and the " Kids " . Which in most cases has endeded in increased cost to everyone, even the kids . And has ended in more cost and less benefit and cost more money than it has saved the taxpayers, not to mention the cost to the " Kids " and their future tax indebtedness !
Hmmmm ! Do you suppose that the future tax indebtedness, as well as the lack of jobs and a crumbling City/County infrastructure could possibly a factor in why our young people/kids are not staying in Emporia and Lyon County ?? Just thinking out loud.
JMO
January 24, 2012 at 8:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
booker5m (anonymous) says...
I saw in one poll where 30 hasnt been ask to sign. If they would like to sign make a comment and someone will get a petition to them
January 24, 2012 at 9:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dml (anonymous) says...
Methusla, I graduated from Hartford High School in 1992 and while it was Robert's Rules were very informally followed by some stretch of the imagination during class meetings and FBLA, my formal exposure to it was in 4-H.
January 24, 2012 at 12:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )