Home: City Manager's Updates

Posted 1/14/08

Did You Know?

These are strange times for our community. There are many in our community that believe I should be removed as the City Manager. The City Commissioners receive emails daily from individuals calling upon them to fire me. There are those that believe some of the City Commissioners should resign or be recalled. It is hard for me to understand these thoughts.

Discussion and civic involvement is fundamental to our democracy. I encourage questions and participation from citizens on every issue the City of Junction City considers. However, I do not promote bullying and personal attacks on myself or my colleagues.

We are an open book at City Hall. I welcome anyone to stop by and obtain information about any issue. My staff and I are happy to help you. We have all kinds of ways to provide you information. These include our website, www.jcks.com; the Mike and Mick Show; this blog; neighborhood district meetings; city commission meetings and various boards and commissions.

There is great opportunity for civic involvement. For those of you who have questions about information raised by the Taxpayer Association, here are a few correct facts.

• Did you know that the City’s mill levy was 52 mills in 1997 and today it is 47 mills?
• Did you know that the largest single source of revenue for the City’s general fund is sales tax revenue?
• Did you know that property tax for the general fund for 2008 is approximately $124,000? The general fund budget is over $12 million. The general fund budget is where all of the essential service budgets are located: police, fire, engineering, codes, recreation, parks, court, airport, streets, ambulance, animal shelter, and administration.
• Did you know that the tax increase everybody is complaining about is the result of changes in valuation of your property? This change in valuation is mandated by the State of Kansas through the County Assessor’s office.
• Did you know that the City of Junction City has planned its debt payments so that there is a level payment process and it won’t result in a spike in property taxes?
• Did you know that many of the subdivisions that are being developed with vacant lots have not had the assessments levied against the lots?
• Did you know that the City’s fiscal advisor is using every means possible to secure debt from the subdivisions through other means than the City’s property tax levy?
• Did you know that we have issued over 2,204 housing permits since 2004?
• Did you know that our population has changed since the last estimate?
• Did you know that many of those people in the taxpayer association received the same incentives and assistance from the City that they now believe are wrong?
• Did you know that the City Commission has changed its development policies to accommodate the availability of land that is now available in the community?
• Did you know that the City has grown by 1,400 acres and over 100 miles of streets, but have not added staff or budget expenditures to handle this? Instead the staff has found new ways to provide services and found new partners to assist with this, keeping the mill levy down.

Asking questions is healthy. I invite you to use the various methods the City has to ask questions and the staff will be happy to respond.

Email Rod!