Craig Weinaug could’ve used another $120,000 this year to hire three more sheriff’s deputies, bolster maintenance of the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds or even pump life back into a counseling program slated for elimination from area public schools.

But instead, the money  plus another $240,000 next year  will go to cover unexpected community college tuition payments, as mandated by the Kansas Legislature.

Weinaug, the county administrator, isn’t pleased.

“The state just changed the rules, with no notice. It’s a $360,000 hit,” he said, snapping his fingers loudly. “Just like that.”

At issue are tuition payments made by counties whose residents attend community colleges outside their home counties. Beginning July 1, according to a law passed two years ago, the payments were to drop from $12 per credit hour to $6 per credit hour; in July 2003, the payments were to be eliminated.

But during the waning days of the latest legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill that kept the payment rate at $12 per credit hour  freeing up about $3.5 million this year to help fill an estimated $700 million hole in the state’s general fund.

But that will drain $3.5 million from budgets of 105 counties that had expected to pay less this year and next. In Douglas County, that means coming up with another $120,000 this year and another $240,000 for 2003 to cover the unexpected costs.

‘A broken promise’

Jere McElhaney, chairman of the Douglas County Commission, said he would encourage his fellow commissioners simply not to pay the bills. It’s not the county’s job to bail legislators out of their financial hole.

“Why should we?” McElhaney asked. “The way I look at it right now, the deal is still a deal. We’re over with it.”

Judy Moler, general counsel for the Kansas Association of Counties, won’t be advising members of her association to follow McElhaney’s lead. The association spent years convincing the Legislature to cut counties out of the tuition-paying loop, she said, and the latest budget crunch obviously forced lawmakers into making some difficult decisions.

Postponing the elimination of out-of-district tuition fees for counties just got caught in the middle, and counties with state universities  especially Douglas, Riley and Sedgwick  will get hit hardest.

“It’s kind of a broken promise, I guess, but  a lot of good work went into moving this along,” Moler said. “My hope is it is just a blip in the plan, and not a chronic pain.”

Lawrence benefit

Sheila Frahm, executive director of the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees, cautioned Douglas County commissioners against complaining too much.

The state’s 19 community colleges, on average, receive 45 percent of their financing from taxpayers in their home counties, she said, while only a “minuscule” percentage comes from out-of-district tuition payments charged to remaining counties such as Douglas.

But Douglas County taxpayers pay no property taxes dedicated specifically for Kansas University, leaving the entire state to pick up the tax tab for higher education atop Mount Oread.

“The university in your community receives no property tax from local taxpayers,” Frahm said. “And I’m certain that your community receives benefit from having the University of Kansas in your community.”

But knowing that doesn’t make the situation any easier for county officials to digest. Weinaug said he had ample contingency funds to cover the increased payments through the end of this year, and likely would have enough room to maneuver in his proposed 2003 budget to make ends meet.

Still, he won’t have as many options for meeting a growing list of needs. And, Weinaug said, the state isn’t helping matters any.

“They didn’t do any fiscal planning  zero,” he said. “And when they make decisions, it has ramifications for all of us.”