By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

With Ellis County facing the potential for significant budget issues, first district Ellis County Commission candidate Robert “Butch” Schlyer believes his experience makes his best suited for the job.

Schlyer, R-Hays, defeated incumbent Marcy McClelland in the August Republican primary and faces Democratic challenger Chris Rorabaugh and independent John Walz in Tuesday’s primary election.

Schlyer served as Ellis County Health Administrator for 23 before retiring in 2016.

Why are you running for county commission?
Schlyer said he decided to run for election because of his knowledge of the county. He said while serving as the Health Administrator, he met with the other department heads to discuss issues within the county and he was able to learn a lot from those collaborations, which he believes will help him succeed as a commissioner.

“It really put every department head in touch with what the other department heads were doing,” Schlyer said. “I have developed a respect for department heads, their professional knowledge and judgement, and I believe they’ve developed the same for me.”

As the commission begins working on the fiscal year 2020 budget, it is expected to face a potentially significant budget deficit, and Schlyer said he believes the relationships he has already built will help right away.

“As we look at the tough issues facing the county, I’m in a better position to sit down with department heads that I already know and respect and say, ‘We need to sit down and negotiate some of these issues,’ ” he said. “I think they would receive that better from someone who knows what’s going on, than from someone who doesn’t.”

Budget the biggest issue
Schlyer said the budget is currently the biggest issue affecting Ellis County and he believes the next commissioner is going to have to make difficult decisions.

“In the short term, we’re going to have to try and reduce expenses and increase some revenues, probably through some tax increases,” said Schlyer.

He said they are going to have to look at doing things differently. He said department heads are not overspending; they are spending at a level that keeps everything running as they are now but that is going to have to change. That could lead to a reduction or changes in services.

“The public’s going to have to accept some change,” Schlyer said. “If we keep running the county the same way we’re running the county now, it’s going to hit the county real hard.”

He said no one is in favor of seeing their property taxes increase but it could come down to a reduction of some services or higher property taxes.

Are you in favor of a county-wide sales tax?
The idea of implementing a county-wide sales tax to help fund county government was raised during a recent candidate forum, and Schlyer said he would be in favor of an sales tax if it is limited to just funding essential services. That would include law enforcement, Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Management.

“Things like public safety, public health need to be above politics, (and) the county has to fund those because people can get sick, injured or die if we don’t fund those budgets adequately,” Schlyer said.

He said a reduction to some of the other departments may be an inconvenience to the public but no one wants to close an ambulance service or compromise law enforcement officers who are trying to protect the public.

Schlyer said he also believes Ellis County residents may be more inclined to support a sales county-wide sales tax as opposed to paying higher property tax.

The county’s half-cent sales tax to help finance construction of the Emergency Services Building and remodel the Law Enforcement Center and jail was allowed to sunset at the end of September.

Politics leading to divide
Schlyer said he has been surprised to hear about the divisiveness currently going on in politics.

He said even though he is running for a seat on the Ellis County Commission, he heard from a lot of people that they are upset with what’s happening in politics in general.

“You try to look at the issues affecting the county, we’re not going to pass any resolutions that affect the social issues that you see at the state or federal,” Schlyer said. “I don’t know why it has to be a partisan election when it really doesn’t apply that way.”