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.
What form it takes and how quickly changes might occur is far from clear.
For the last 35 years, county commissioners have tried unsuccessfully to address the needs of rural fire districts across Reno County.
The overwhelming theme shown in a comprehensive report is that central management by a professional fire chief could solve many of the pressing issues each station faces. Existing fire chiefs could manage the specific needs of individual districts while rolling out uniform policies and training.
Last year, Emergency Management Director Adam Weishaar noted how many rural fire districts were looking to build new fire stations. The construction would cost millions, but there was no clear plan for future fire operations.
Barnett: Open for wind energy development – perhaps not
Dorothy Barnett
How do we value the voices of Reno County citizens? In regard to wind, I’m concerned we’re increasingly giving consideration only to anti-wind voices without regard for the hundreds of employees at Siemens, the landowners who have signed leases for wind turbines, the increased business traffic in local businesses (diners, hotels, etc.) during the construction of a wind farm, and the millions of dollars wind farms bring to county budgets.
The wind energy regulations drafted by the Reno County Planning Commission submitted for Reno County Commission approval reflect the work done to balance concerns raised by citizens of Reno County and the feasibility of wind energy projects. It was developed with input from public comment, expert testimony, and staff over months of deliberation and supported by a 5-1 vote. The end result is a reliable wind energy conversion system (WECS) ordinance that will allow for de
Multiple Kansas counties are backing off mask mandates they implemented last month as COVID-19 cases increased ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, with local elected officials arguing that they had weathered the wave of infections.
But they are doing so over the guidance of local public health officials and hospital administrators, who say caution is still warranted.
Commissioners in Jackson County voted 2-1 Monday to halt the mask mandate imposed in November at the request of the county s public health administrator, Angie Reith. They were joined by their counterparts in Brown County, who also moved to end their face covering requirement.