The fireworks smoke has cleared, and the middle of summer is truly here.
That means the MLB All Star Game is right around the corner, but more importantly, locally, it means it is budget season, as the county commission and city councils plan their expenditures for next year.
Budget coverage started off with a bang last week, as the Buhler City Council gave itself the flexibility to increase its mill levy by up to 10 mills. That has probably ruffled some feathers, so we want to remind readers that all of the “not to exceed” budget proposals you’re seeing in July are starting points. Buhler City Council members talked about working to make cuts before adopting the budget in August or September.
Similarly, as the Reno County Commission sets its not-to-exceed this week with a 2.42-mill increase, County Administrator Randy Partington anticipates cuts before final approval.
The budget calendar is a big part of why you see boards setting higher not-to-exceed numbers than they want to end up at. They don’t get their property valuation figures that their budgets are based on until mid-June, but by state law, they have to set a not-to-exceed by July 20.
For city councils that meet once a month, like Buhler’s, that might mean only having one meeting between when they get their valuation numbers and when they are required to have a preliminary budget.
But even without that restricted window, public budgeting is neither fun nor easy. It is always an exercise in balancing competing priorities. Low property taxes are one priority, and many property owners’ No. 1 priority. But it isn’t as simple as balancing low taxes against maintaining quality public services. The priority of low taxes has to be balanced with every public service separately, and those services have to be balanced against one another: law enforcement, courts, firefighting, public health, streets, economic development, parks, and the list goes on and on.
The challenges of budgeting don’t even stop at the services directly provided by local government. The county and many cities provide support to outside organizations that do valuable work in our communities—often work that would fall on local governments if those organizations didn’t exist.
Because of all of these competing priorities, there is no perfect budget, no budget that will please everyone. There will always be people unhappy with the budget, and some of them will likely be vocal about their displeasure.
The people responsible for budgets—both elected officials and professional staff—are reasonable people trying to get it right, by and large. If you feel strongly about an aspect of the budget, talk to your city council representatives or county commissioners now. Tell them what matters most to you. Go to a public meeting and let them know what your priorities are. And do it before the budgets are finalized in August and September.
If you wait until after the budget is passed or you get your tax statement, just know that a Monday morning quarterback never won a game.
– The Hutchinson Tribune Editorial Board