--- Issues and Information---
What's A
Commissioner To Do?
Here's a "what's a commissioner
to do" riddle. The question is whether the city and county ought to
help relieve some of the anticipated damage from shrinking State support for
public schools.
It's not like the county has money to
burn...we are
currently anticipating a $1.5 million -- about two mills in property taxes --
shortfall in State funds. No doubt, the cities of Douglas County are in
similar circumstances re: reduced State support.
School
District #497 is facing $3.2 Million in budget cuts and fee
increases.
The "Either" and
"Or" passages below came in e-mails from good friends
and political supporters whom I truly respect. The positions are well-stated,
thoughtful, and diametrically opposed. The city/county/school board will
summit immediately after legislative plans are clear.
Either:
"In looking at some of the items on the County Commission agenda, I notice
the School District is sharing some of their funding woes and suggesting that
perhaps the County can help because, after all, these are worthwhile programs.
To me, it does not make a lot of sense for one governmental (taxing) agency to
take over the expenses of another governmental agency.
This is particularly true at a time when the request is motivated by the fact that tax revenues are down for everyone. Either increase the tax
revenue to the organization or cut the budget to match revenues, or a combination thereof. Do not shift the funding to another governmental
agency. Douglas County, for example, is facing a big enough challenge to fund its own
traditional operating expenses and should not be called upon to add
to its burden, particularly at this time."
Or:
"TANSTAAFL is a rule of the
world, folk: "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch." You, the citizen, will pay somewhere, somehow, someone,
some way. We prefer to invest in our children than pay for the costs of
putting them in jail or supporting them on welfare. The county should fund
the school nurses and counselors in our county schools. They cities should
fund the athletics and other activities through the parks and recreation
budgets. The school budget must be preserved to teach our children about reading
and writing. And the community cannot afford to NOT pay for the other
programs that help shape our children into full and contributing members of our
communities, and keep them safe and healthy for all of us to enjoy."
Check out some of the Either/Or
Responses received so far. Then let me know: it's
your money, what
would you do?
New Douglas County Commission
Districts
On Wednesday, January 16th, the County
Commission voted unanimously to redistrict the three County Commission Districts.
 The
old district configuration has considerable population disparity as a
result of growth since it was set out in 1991. The constitutional
provision of one-per-one-vote requires that commission districts approach
equality in population. The current map also shows a 2nd District with
three non-contiguous islands: which doesn't make a lot of sense from the
"communities of interest" standpoint.
The new district map eliminates islands and non-contiguities.
Population distribution would be: District 1 = 35,165; District 2 =
32,950; and District 3 = 31,847. The commissioners agree that some
disparity in population is reasonable given likely growth patterns between now
and the 2011 Census/Redistricting.
Unlike the the brutally partisan redistricting hijinks in
Topeka, our deliberations were harmonious, principle-focused, and
relatively free of partisan politics. Thanks to my fellow Commissioners
and members of the public who helped inform the process.
2002 Douglas County Budget
After everything has been said and done, the true values of a
political body are reflected it is budget. Does the Douglas County
Commission's values comport with yours, or with your perception of community
interests? Take a look and let us know. 
The 2002 county budget-making process was a pretty rough
adventure due to increased insurance costs, intense regional competition for law
enforcement officers, and funding cuts related to the State's deteriorating
fiscal solvency.
With a $415 million deficit in State funding and a possible
decline in local sales tax revenues, developing the county's 2003 budget could
be even more difficult than 2002.
After having imposed a 3.562 mill levy increase to fund the 2002
budget, I doubt very seriously that the commission will have any appetite for
another mill rate increase in 2003. The sad question will be: where
can we make the deepest costs with the least adverse impacts.
The Cost of Growth
Growth costs and their distribution continue
to generate heated public debate. Read it all -- carefully and
skeptically -- and decide for yourself.
Real Estate Assessed Values By Property Class
 In the past 6 years, the assessed value of residential property
in Douglas County has increased 63%, while the assessed value of
commercial/industrial property has risen 59%. When the assessed value of
commercial/industrial property (taxed at 25%) lags behind residential
assessment (taxed at 11.5%), it indicates a number of troubling trends:
-
Homeowners have to carry a greater share of the overall tax burden.
-
More people have to commute to their jobs, causing an erosion of social capital
as discussed at the Bowling Alone summit.
-
The sense of promise about
a community -- that people can make a life and career in Douglas County -- is
diminished.
Take a look at the assessment data
from April,
2001. Are there other notable trends?
| 
