Geary County Commission Chair Alex Tyson issued a statement Wednesday morning.
"As Chair of the Board of County Commissioners of Geary County I feel it is my duty to dispel and correct misinformation that has been stated in public forums in recent days. As an elected official I take my duty to the citizens of Geary County seriously, and part of that duty is to make certain that the people have access to the facts.
I have been on the Commission for two years. In that time we implemented recorded meetings giving all citizens access to BOCC meetings via our Youtube page. This Commission believes in transparency. We adhere to the Kansas Open Meetings Act. When the Commission moves to go into an executive session to discuss a matter authorized by statute, we follow the statute. As one can imagine executive sessions for legal matters were necessary this past year to achieve our agreement with Stormont Vail. However, the Commission endeavored to provide the public with information as soon as possible throughout this process. As a member and now Chair of the Commission I can assure the public that we have NEVER taken action in an executive session during my time on the Commission.
The current Commission has worked tirelessly to ensure that our community has access to quality healthcare. The County made a commitment to preserve a hospital in Geary County. This commitment did not waiver when the City refused to provide support. This commitment has remained steadfast and Stormont Vail Flint Hills Campus is the result of this commitment. Stormont Vail has likewise made a commitment to Geary County. This is not simply a lease for the short-term. Stormont Vail is investing in our community for the long-term. The future of health care in Geary County is bright!
The current County Commission knows that the County’s greatest asset is its employees. I personally employ an open-door policy and make myself available to speak to employees without appointment. I share my contact information so that employees can easily contact me. I take employee concerns seriously. My fellow commissioners share my belief that open communication between offices, employees, and the commission is essential to the success of Geary County. This Commission has arranged for meetings to occur between department heads and the Commissioners to discuss concerns that they might be having in their departments and possible solutions in a collaborative environment.
Finally, in the face of creating a new finance position and providing financial support to the hospital the County did in fact LOWER Taxes in Geary County. While it has been noted spending has increased, I would like to add perspective to this. The dollars going out are for much needed repairs and maintenance. Those dollars being spent today will save us additional dollars in the future. This has clearly been demonstrated with the hospital deferred maintenance. To understand how taxes have decreased, the taxpayer needs to understand the basics of the revenue neutral rate. Revenue neutral means the County has the authority to levy the exact same dollar amount as was levied in the previous year without additional steps being taken to notify the taxpayers. Staying revenue neutral keeps overall valuation adjustments out of the formula as the overall dollar amount being taxed would not change. While taxes may be redistributed based on valuation adjustments, the dollar amount levied would remain constant.
In previous years, there were 20 levied funds. In 2023 there are 2 levied funds. These two levied funds are the only funds that affect taxpayer contributions. Budgeting does NOT equal spending. The County operates with a balanced budget which means when budgeting each fund, total carryover cash plus revenue budget will equal total expenditures budgeted. This basis for budgeting provides authority to spend every estimated dollar in the fund but does NOT mean it is the intent to spend every dollar.
The County ad valorem tax levy in 2022 was $17,546,224. In 2023 the levy is set at $16,436,835. Regardless of levied expenditures increasing by $61,289 which was a 0.17% increase, the County was still able to save taxpayer dollars $1,109,389 and the County was below the authorized revenue neutral mill rate by 4.061 mills for the 2023 budget year. The adjustments that were made to the 2023 budget allowed implementation of a wage study and KPF as a retirement benefit to the Sheriff’s department, the creation of an identifiable fund reserve and CIP program, and the ability to finance the hospital debt without increasing the citizen’s tax burden.
The Commission has done a tremendous amount of work in the two years that I have been able to serve. As the chairman I want the electorate to have the facts. I want the public to be aware that county taxes did DECREASE. I want people to know that Stormont Vail Flint Hills Campus is the best possible option to provide high quality healthcare to Geary County. I want the public to know how valuable the employees of Geary County are to me and how much I enjoy working with them. Finally, I want the public to know that I believe in the work that I have done and continue to be excited to serve as a Geary County Commissioner.
-Alex Tyson, Chairman, Geary County Board of County Commissioners