By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
A perceived delay in tax notices caused sparks at Monday night’s Ellis County Commission meeting.
Commissioner Barb Wasinger expressed frustration and said she has been receiving complaints from real estate agents and abstract businesses in Ellis County because they have not received the most recent tax information.
Ellis County Treasurer Ann Pfeifer said the county had to wait on a small school district in Barton County that collects taxes from southwestern Ellis County to provide its taxing information. While that has slowed the process, Pfeifer pointed out state statute does not require the county send out tax statements until Dec. 15.
Wasinger accused the treasurer’s department of breaking statute because she was under the assumption that Nov. 1 was the deadline to have tax information sent out.
November 1 is the deadline the clerk’s office must certify the tax rolls to the treasurer’s office, according to Pfeifer and she said that may be a reason for the confusion.
Ellis County Clerk Donna Maskus said abstract businesses and real estate agents could typically call after Nov. 1 and get the updated tax information. Wasinger and her husband, Thomas, own Ellis County Title and Abstract.
Pfeifer added she has been working with the clerk’s office to get the information to taxpayers but said she cannot guarantee it will not happen again next year because getting the information from the taxing districts is out of their control.
Wasinger said she does not care about other counties and said that Ellis County should tell those districts that do not have their information turned in that Ellis County will exclude them or keep their rates at the same level as last year — something Maskus said they cannot do.
“We have to have those values or levees from other taxing units or counties,” Maskus said. “We have to wait on them, and there were a lot of counties that waited this year.”
Currently, there is no penalty for taxing entities who do not submit the information to the counties before Nov. 1. Commissioner Dean Haselhorst echoed Wasinger’s desire to put pressure on the districts that are holding up the process.
Wasinger said, “We need to pressure on these people to follow a deadline,” adding “every day of my life I have to follow a deadline. Why do they not have too?”
Kansas Association of Counties Executive Director Randall Allen, who was present at the meeting, told the commission he has heard of several similar incidents this year and there needs to be some penalties in the law. He added the county should come up with a proposal and go to state representatives to resolve the issues.
After receiving the tax roll Monday afternoon Pfeifer estimated the department would have the information online Wednesday. Abstractors, banks and realtors should be able to access the information Tuesday or Wednesday of this week.
During the meeting, Wasinger and audience member Tom McClelland sparred over people buying a new house not knowing how much the taxes are going to be on the purchase. McClelland — the husband of Commission Chairwoman Marcy McClelland — said he believes the treasurer is doing the best job she can with reduced personnel.
Pfeifer said in past years taxes have been sent out by Thanksgiving.
Wasinger also took aim at the county’s much-maligned accounting and budgeting system, Computer Information Concepts, saying if the Colorado-based company does not return the county’s phone calls, they need to have County Counselor Bill Jeter contact the company. Pfeifer countered the company was able to help them through an issue this week.
In other business, the county commission
• Approved Emergency Management Director Bill Ring, Rural Fire Chief Darin Myers and Pfeifer to attend the Certified Public Manager meeting in Hays next year.
• Approved the sale of the former EMS building at 1009 Cody to Augie’s Repair of Hays for $216,175.
• Received a construction update on the Law Enforcement Center from Haselhorst, who said they expect the project to be completed by Dec. 18 with departments to be moving in Jan. 4 to 8.
• Approved budget transfers from 2015 to 2016.