County cuts Labor Day fireworks to save money

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN JERRY ENGLER
Two more Marion County Commission meetings, one for pay day Thursday and the regular meeting Monday, ended with the $3,500 usually spent for Labor Day fireworks at the Marion County Lake dropped, and the final budget put together for a 5 p.m. legal publication deadline.

Following a communication from Steve Garrett, Hillsboro city administrator who also is chairman of the Marion County Economic Development Council, stating the council couldn’t fund any of the fireworks, Commission Chairman Howard Collett said, “I don’t see we can spend money for fireworks when we are laying people off.”

Commissioner Leroy Wetta immediately made the motion: “We do not engage in the fireworks.” Commissioner Bob Hein joined in to make the vote 3-0.

On Thursday, the discussion had centered around cutting the county contribution for fireworks in half, to $1,750, and letting the development council come up with the rest.

The personnel cuts, a sheriff’s deputy plus his squad car, a road and bridge worker, and a treasurer’s office worker remained deleted from the final budget.

The commissioners managed to stay at the current 50.901 mill levy with what they considered to be minimal cuts compared to what they’re hearing from other counties.

Sheriff Lee Becker, who stayed as an observer at the Monday meeting, came to the Thursday meeting with officers Randy Brazil, Mike Veneski and Jeff Soyez to ask that the drop of a sheriff’s deputy be rescinded.

The officers said they had all worked in previous sheriffs’ administrations where law enforcement personnel were “grossly understaffed,” and with the effort to stem illegal drug activity and the other demands placed on the office, the department could not afford another cut.

They said the expense involved in keeping one officer on could redevelop if other officers are required to work overtime to make up for it.

When the jail population is up, more officer time is needed for booking and administrating inmates, and the court system is making increasing demands on officers to transport prisoners to other counties. Also, the use of cellular phones has escalated the frequency of reports made by the public, and the number of Kansas Highway Patrolmen is down on the county’s 152 miles of state highway-all reasons for a heavier workload, the officers said.

Brazil said, as one example, he was the only officer available for a fatality accident, another was away transporting inmates, and Becker had to be called in from off-duty time to assist.

Collett said the cut in state patrol officers causes the county’s officers to pick up the slack-another example of the state putting more of its budget woes on the counties.

The commissioners said the shortfall in state funds due to counties precipitated the budget problem that amounted to $480,000 a year in Marion County.

Wetta told the officers: “You have a job to do, and we have a job to do. Over the last few years the Commission has been supportive of the needs for you to do a good job. But we think it’s time now the Commission does the other side of its job. It’s time to take a little back.

“We have to go where the money is. (The) road and bridge (department) had money taken away last year and this year, he’s probably the guy that should be hollering. We’ve nailed him about three times already.”

Soyez protested that the sheriff has no control over how many transports the courts will order, how full the jail is, and other factors, and asked what the public is going to say when an officer can’t be there in a bad situation.

Hein said, “Well, the public is talking. They read the papers, and they are calling to say it’s good to see the budget is being taken care of. If the state hadn’t done this cutting, you guys wouldn’t have to be here.”

Wetta said, “We don’t want to minimize the good work you guys have done.”

Soyez said, “I see the pain in the families and the victims. I have to take the hit if I’m not there for them.

“We’re the proving ground. The rest of the county follows us. When the cities are going forward, and we begin to go backwards, it backfires.”

Gerald Kelsey, road and bridge supervisor, told commissioners he has “15 guys wondering who it’s going to be” when it comes “to laying one off.”

He suggested the move might be accomplished by attrition because of employees who are about ready to retire.

Kelsey asked, “On the budget, what’s to be expected the rest of the year. Do we have the money set aside for the bond seals and to still be able to do the repairs on the Tampa Road?”

Hein said, “Yes, we have to do that.”

Both men agreed the Tampa Road might be lost to an irreparable state if the work isn’t done.

Kelsey estimated that with chip and seal overlays, box culverts and drains to carry away water rising to the surface, which all contributed to the damage, Tampa Road will come in a close to a $50,000 project.

The Commission met twice in executive session Monday, once to discuss personnel and the courthouse homeland security system, and once for attorney-client privilege with County Attorney Susan Robson. Collett said the security system would stay private with county department heads.

David Brazil, sanitarian, health department and transfer station administrator, asked commissioners’ permission to develop an interlocal agreement with the City of Lehigh to help with public health nuisance ordinances that might be used as a model for the county to help other small cities in the county unable to afford their own inspectors.

Wetta said he was reluctant to have Brazil do so, especially if it opened him up to spending hours on cities’ nuisance ordinances.

He said, “I think your duties and responsibilities are to the county, and I’m afraid if you open this up it could be a determent to your time and resources.

“If it was just Lehigh, maybe, but I’m not ready to share you when we have you spread so darn far already.”

Collett said it might be okay if an interlocal agreement is limited to only health and sanitation issues that fall under Brazil’s job anyway.

The commissioners said Brazil could “take a look at it.”

On Thursday, the commissioners split area fuel bids to award Cardie Oil areas one and two for a total of $2,804.26 for 2,950 gallons of diesel, and Cooperative Grain areas three and four for a total of $3,456 for 3,600 gallons of diesel.

More from article archives
Tabor releases 60+ fall program schedule
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN The Tabor College 60+ Learning in Retirement program will begin...
Read More