By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
Sales tax revenues continue to decline for Ellis County.
According to Treasurer Ann Pfeifer, sales tax revenues have decreased 10-percent over the last two years.
Pfeifer presented the Ellis County Commission with an update on the sales tax fund, which is used to pay for the Courthouse/Law Enforcement Center and Emergency Services Building projects, at Monday night’s meeting.
Pfeifer said they are asking the commission to delay making payments from the sales tax fund so they can pay the lease payment to the Public Building Commission, which makes the bond payments.
Commissioner Barb Wasinger said the drop in sales tax revenue means the departments need to look for ways to save money.
“This is exactly why we asked department heads and elected officials not to fill positions,” Wasinger said. “This is a problem, this is not something that suddenly rose up and bit us, this is something that’s been coming and we’ve been warning of it.”
Earlier this year, the commission instructed department heads to find places within their budget to cut as they set the 2017 budget. Commissioner Dean Haselhorst said he would like to see a five-percent cut over last year.
According to Pfeifer, the county and the city of Hays collected $224,176.90 in April 2016 from the 0.5-percent sales tax. That is almost $24,000 less than the year before and $25,000 less than 2014. Pfeifer said she has revised downward the monthly estimate twice this year to now $262,000.
In July, the county may have transfer money from the general fund to make the bond payment because of a timing issue Pfeifer said. The PBC would the pay back the money later in the month when they receive the money from the sales tax fund.
Haselhorst said, “Revenues are down everywhere.”
Wasinger added “and it’s only getting worse.”
Pfeifer said if the trend continues the county could face a bigger shortfall in the future.
At Monday’s meeting, the PBC approved accounts payable to MW Builders for construction services for $426,700.75. The commission also moved $10,232 from the Emergency Services construction fund to the Courthouse/Law Enforcement fund and $678.28 from the general fund to the Courthouse/Law Enforcement fund.
In other business, the commission agreed to move forward with assisting the cities of Ellis and Victoria with 2016 street rehabilitation projects.
Agreed to a tentative date of June 6th to hold a joint meeting with the Barton County Commission to discuss potentially combining K-State Research and Extension services into a regional service. The county previously identified the move as a way to save money.
Discussed the possibility of holding a tax foreclosure every year.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The government is expecting a bountiful winter wheat harvest this year.
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