🎥 Hays 2018 budget adopted with no mill levy increase, decreased expenditures

Hays Finance Director Kim Rupp with the 2018 budget book.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Following a review of the highlights and no public comments, Hays city commissioners unanimously adopted the 2018 budget during their meeting Thursday night.

Fifteen of the city’s 25 departments and divisions reduced their budgets from 2017, while four more departments increased their budgets only slightly. According to Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood, expenditures decreased by $215,118, with no reduction in city services. All city employees will receive a four percent wage increase next year.

“It’s a balanced budget with no mill levy increase,” Wood reminded commissioners. “We continue the process of paying cash for large projects. Our reserve funds are maintained and are healthy and we have a full-funded street program in 2018.”

The city’s mill levy has been at or below 25 for 11 of the past 12 years.

“We’re the sixth lowest (mill) levy in Kansas,” Wood reported, “and we’re also the lowest levy outside of Johnson County, so that’s something we should be proud of, being able to keep our levies low.”

Wood showed a calculation of the monthly tax liability for the owner of a median $158,000 home in Hays. When all the numbers are crunched, the monthly figure is $37.85.

“That $37.85 a month in conjunction with sales tax revenues provides all the services we have here in Hays.”

With further calculations and comparisons with several other cities, Wood determined Garden City is about $10 higher per month, Salina is about $8 more and Great Bend about $40 more. Area cities smaller than Hays have an even bigger monthly tax liability for homeowners, with Ellis, Victoria and Plainville being more than $100.

“Even though our tax valuation is a little bit higher and people may think it’s too high, we still have a low property tax. And actually, of that $37.85, the city’s portion is only $27 if you back out the Hays Public Library,” he added. “Twenty-seven dollars a month for all the services Hays provides to residents.”

The assessed valuation for the city of Hays increased by four percent in the 2018 budget of $38,058,556.

Commissioners thanked all the employees involved in drafting the budget, particularly Finance Director Kim Rupp. “I don’t know what he’s going to do for the rest of the year,” joked Wood.

“I appreciate city staff and what you guys have brought to us this year,” said Mayor Shaun Musil. “I’m very happy with the budget.”