By Sept. 1, Karla Nichols advised the Reno County Commission, it’s on track to eclipse 250.
Nichols on Tuesday presented the county commission with modified “alert levels” she is proposing the county adopt, based on modified guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
While containing no mask mandates, the guidelines would recommend limits to gathering sizes and reductions in attendance at large venues based on the 14-day positive case rate and incidence numbers.
The Commission balked at the recommendations, however, eventually deciding it would draft its own.
More than case counts?
Commissioner Daniel Friesen suggested the numbers determining alerts should include hospitalization rates and data on whether any of the people hospitalized for the virus had been vaccinated.
County sets revenue neutral budget goal
Two of the three Reno County Commissioners agreed during budget discussions earlier this week to consider cutting County Commission salaries next year by a third.
The proposed cut from $18,000 a year to $12,000 would pay for a fourth county commission seat should the expansion of the board be placed on the November ballot and be approved by voters.
However, it doesn’t go far toward achieving a goal also agreed to early on in the budget talks, cutting last year’s mill levy rate by at least 5%.
To do that will require cutting more than $400,000 from proposed property tax receipts.
Commission ballot question still in question hutchnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hutchnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Deming: Why five tops three, but it won t be easy
Dan Deming
Reno County Commissioners are again looking at expanding to five rather than three members. That s good news for those believing in better government, more ideas and improved representation.
Getting that question passed by voters may take more time, however, than voting this November. Placing the proposition on the 2022 general election ballot, when far more voters go to the polls, is probably a better idea. It would give more opportunity for a thorough study of the challenging re-alignment of commission districts to meet state law standards and selling merits to a skeptical electorate.