By Gina Long
Saturday evening, I attended a critical fundraiser for the Reno County Museum.
“Bootleggers, Bandits & Booze” was a well-attended murder mystery and dinner party, one that should have been unnecessary if the Reno County Commission had bothered to read about the museum’s history and the historic Nov. 8, 1988 ballot question vote, in which the county’s citizens approved a minuscule 0.4 mill funding requirement. The approved 2025 budgeted amount, $140,000, represents 0.158 mills, slightly less than 40 percent of the required funding.
Had the commission maintained the same level of funding as they did in 2000, the museum’s allocation would stand at roughly $250,000.
The museum cannot afford an archivist and is rapidly reaching its capacity to accept new historical items. Cataloging, digitizing and indexing the collection takes equipment and effort, and posting those items on the internet require network servers and support.
The building is aging and will soon need urgent repairs.
I did note that none of the commissioners attended the event, but one did donate to the fundraiser.
Fundraising is critical because the Reno County Commission defied the will of the people and slashed the museum’s budget by nearly 25%.
Perhaps the commissioners who supported the reduction are ignorant that the decision is still in effect, ironically supporting the need to preserve history.
Perhaps they realize that history is made in the present, and they fear that their decisions today will reflect poorly, coming across as short-sighted and illogical. In two years, five years, twenty years or a hundred years from now how do we explain $45,000 in the context of bonding $1.45 million for a shooting range at the landfill? More than $300,000 purportedly has already been spent on that project.
Of course, law enforcement needs constant firearms training and practice because it is a critical component of their work, and I do not think that the RCSO is pushing for a Taj Mahal range. Do they need more than $1.5 million to build an adequate facility? Certainly not. Are they building a golf course-style clubhouse? Hotel space? A Quaniticoesque Hogan’s Alley? Landscaping to mitigate the landfill’s odors?
An idea is circulating that the facility will be used as a money-generator by renting it out for law enforcement special training. We have a law enforcement training center less than 10 miles south of Hutchinson. Presumably, their facilities aren’t as luxurious. But does Reno County belong in the hospitality business?
I suggest investing in transparency first.
At least one commissioner in the past floated the idea of making the range available to the public. His proposal fizzled immediately when the skyrocketing cost of insuring a range for public use would severely crimp the county’s budget. To my chagrin, the question of whether the government should compete against an upcoming privately owned indoor range was not raised.
These are the critical questions of today, and Reno County citizens voted to preserve them.
History is instructive, informative, and commemorative. The Reno County Museum is worth the investment.
Gina Long is the co-founding and managing editor of The Hutchinson Tribune. She can be contacted at glong@hutchtribune.com
Susan Alexander / November 18, 2024
Thank you, Gina, for raising several excellent points in support of the county maintaining at least the previous level of funding for the county museum. Plus, it’s obvious the museum could use even more financial support. I’m surprised and disappointed the county commission appears to have changed its priorities when it comes to funding projects in our county. I wonder if any of our county commissioners has ever taken the time to explore our wonderful Reno County Museum.
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