September 24th, 2024 Newsletter
More about Taxes
I am happy to push back on a false narrative that the county is accumulating drastic ($30 million a year) excess funds- that would be more than our whole sheriff’s department budget! A citizen has pushed the narrative, generating his made-up figures by counting our fund balance as income year after year. The independent audit company AGH and the Kansas State Department of Administration have both upheld the county’s accounting and dismissed the citizen’s math.
Here’s what is true. The county keeps between 60-90 days of operating funds in the general fund to keep up their credit rating and cover unexpected costs (like clean up after the 2019 tornado). This is sound management. Douglas County also saves up to pay cash for capital projects (roads, bridges, parking lot repair, HVAC, etc.). Counties are limited in their ability to carry debt, so there is money set aside to cover anticipated repairs. This shows up as fund balance until it is spent on projects- you can see them here: https://www.dgcoks.gov/sites/default/files/2024-08/2025%20CIP%20for%20Website.pdf
There are also grant funds held by the county that did not come from taxpayers- those are restricted to the projects they support like the recent $91,000 grant for youth services or the $1.4m from KDOT to cover the cost of a bridge replacement on Farmer’s Turnpike.
It’s true that there has been capacity in the mental health sales tax fund. This is where I anticipate the county will cover costs related to “A Place for Everyone.” I moved drug court and behavioral health court there for 2025 to free up some of the property tax mill levy that we turned back to taxpayers. Other tax relief came from reducing tax support to employee benefits. We could do this without harming benefits, but we will need to keep an eye on it.
I continue to push for efficiency and fiscal responsibility for all county funds. We’ve made great progress- leading to a 5 mill decrease (from 46 to 41 mills) over my two budget seasons. I am happy to go through budget details with people- just ask! I'm also interested to hear from tax payers about which specific services they would like to see either cut or protected.
In the Community
Cottonwood
I had the opportunity recently to get a tour of Cottonwood Inc., the local nonprofit serving our neighbors with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Douglas County supports Cottonwood with $686,000 annually, allowing the organization to bring nearly $8 million in federal Medicaid dollars and $6 million in manufacturing contracts into our community each year, not to mention, other grants and private support. Field trips, crafts, vocational training, and meaningful, paid work are all options that clients can choose throughout the day at Cottonwood. Tax cuts we made this year at the County Commission did not impact our ongoing support for this vital resource for families and individuals impacted by disabilities.
Pictured here is my friend Ladina Miller, Sewing Manager, at Cottonwood, Inc. She is also a valued fellow board member with me for the housing nonprofit, BRAC.
Dole Institute of Politics
The programming at the Dole Institute is always thought-provoking, but Sasha Issenberg’s conversation about online disinformation in political campaigns was especially timely. His latest book, The Lie Detectives, investigates how disinformation damages trust in political processes from national to the state and local levels. You can watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11mARuakNNo
In that presentation Sasha mentioned the important role that neighbor to neighbor conversations play. We have smart, savvy voters in district 3 and with your help we will keep verifiable facts front and center in this election. Talk to your friends!
Recent Meetings
I have attended the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, Lawrence Home Builders/Board of Realtors Forum, Cottonwood, Watkins Museum, LWV/NAACP, Bert Nash, county staff, Kansas Water Office, Winter School, the Santa Fe Trail Historical Society, as well as talked to many voters, friends, and neighbors. It’s an honor to serve as your commissioner!
