Two “Outside Agencies” the Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development and the Downtown Hays Development Corp. have received millions of dollars from Hays, and Ellis County taxpayers over their 15-year existence.
Both have yearly expense accounts that together exceed $350,000 (June 2 Commission Agenda packet).
Their expense accounts contain fees for everything from their salaries and wages, health insurance, pension funds, to items like fees for taxi rides, airfares, and meal allowances. These are just a few of the expenses listed that city and county taxpayers are paying these two highly paid “Outside” agency directors. I also believe millions of dollars are being taken from the Transient Guest Tax to fund the renovations of old vacant downtown buildings through another “Outside” agency in Plainville.
The DHDC’s board has hired a new executive director, the fifth or sixth (?), in their 15 years of existence. So far the new director Bloom has succeeded in changing the downtown area name “Chestnut District” to “The Bricks”. Hundreds of thousands of dollars that was spent on downtown “Chestnut District” signage and gateway monuments now meaningless and confusing. New director Bloom is again bringing up the need for a downtown Pavilion with attached public restrooms adjacent to the train tracks on very isolated property owned by Union Pacific. This was previously denied approval for lease by Union Pacific two years earlier in 2014. The DHDC’s new director also wants to add more outside alcohol street events on the “The Bricks” that along with the Pavilion and Public Restrooms will surely increase safety issues and police patrolling, city maintenance, and leasing costs for ourselves and our grandchildren. Please, explain to me how the above new proposed DHDC projects will add revenue to our city? Three current City Commissioners have had close affiliations with DHDC that even included the position of treasurer of DHDC, thus guaranteeing DHDC will continue to receive annual funding. After millions of taxpayer dollars invested in this “Outside” agency, many downtown buildings restored or otherwise still remain vacant!
The ECCED executive director White and his unnamed board of directors one and only accomplishment to my knowledge was to convince three commissioners Phelps, Musil and Mellick to vote to implement a 1 cent sales tax on shoppers at the Mall, now called Big Creek Crossing. This 1 cent sale tax will be given to Mall landlords to make renovations and repairs to their property. Shouldn’t they have been doing this all along as any responsible landlord should do? Some Mall businesses are still closed to this day because of roof collapses and water leaks that still continue to occur every time it rains. The side and rear parking lots still remain a hazard for vehicles and pedestrians. A little research of the Mall owners past caretaking should have set off alarms to White and commissioners.
Changing the names of downtown Hays and the Mall didn’t produce different results. City sales tax revenues are down! These two Economic expert “Outside” agencies still can’t fund their own existence after 15 years of taxpayer support.
Tell City and County Commissioners to quit using taxpayer money to fund these two “Outside” agencies so they can speculate their wants and dreams! Businesses that provide customer satisfaction and quality service will survive as many downtown and other businesses throughout Hays have done for years without the existence of these two agencies.
John Basso
Hays