Once is enough.

That’s the message from Douglas County commissioners, who are sending financial signals that the proposed 7.2 percent property-tax increase for the 2004 budget won’t be repeated again for 2005.

“I just hope that people can finally understand that we have to get our government spending under control,” said Commissioner Jere McElhaney, frustrated after hearing continued requests for budget increases in recent weeks. “We need to be responsible, we have to be mindful of our citizens out there, we have to take care of them and we have to take care of their finances and not spend any money needlessly.

“If we have any agencies out there that are bloated, or that are not pulling their weight, so to speak, we just have to fix it.”

The message was delivered last week as commissioners plugged in their final numbers for a $45.5 million operating budget for 2004.

The spending plan calls for a tax levy of 29.844, up a little more than 2 mills — or enough to add $34.81 to the tax bill for the owner of a $150,000 home. A mill equals $1 of tax for every $1,000 of a property’s assessed valuation.

The city and school district are also working on their budgets for next year. The city is trying to find ways to trim a proposed 3.41-mill increase, which would be 13 percent higher than the levy for this year, while the school district foresees a drop in its assessment of at least 1.8 mills.

The county’s bump is designed to cover a $1.8 million loss in state funds that normally would help the county offset the costs of hiring deputies, fixing roads and handling other basic government services.

With those costs absorbed, county leaders intend to be on target for a level tax rate in 2005.

¢ Property tax to go up 7.2 percent (7-8-03)¢ 6News video: County property taxes to climb 7.2 percent (7-8-03)¢ County strives to lower mill levy (7-6-03)

“Assuming the economy is no worse — and our expectation is that it will be better — and assuming that the state does us no further harm, I feel reasonably sure that it won’t be necessary to raise the mill levy next year,” said Bob Johnson, commission chairman.

Charting a course

As part of the budget endorsed Wednesday night, commissioners established directions for making budget decisions a year from now.

While several social-service agencies managed to squeeze some extra money out of the county for next year — to help cover costs of cuts made by state and federal governments — they didn’t get it all. And they were instructed to start planning now for tougher times ahead.

Commissioners committed an additional $100,000 to Douglas County Visiting Nurses Assn., but said the extra help would drop to $50,000 in 2005 and to zero in 2006.

Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center likewise secured an extra $100,000 for 2004, but is slated to get by with just an extra $50,000 a year later and no enhancement in 2006.

And Independence Inc.’s $60,000 boost will be trimmed to $30,000 in 2005 before evaporating for 2006.

The idea is to give agencies a chance to plan ahead for tight budgetary times, instead of having their very existence threatened by the Kansas Legislature’s or U.S. Congress’ last-minute moves to balance their own books on the backs of local services.

County leaders want to help people brace for the bad news before it arrives.

“In all fairness, if there are constraints on budgets then everybody understands why and everybody understands what courses we might have to take to deal with them,” Johnson said.

Planning ahead

The county’s early financial advice could allow agencies to make stronger cases when applying for grants, commissioners said.

Commissioners also told other agencies to charge their customers for services, rather than relying on all county taxpayers to pick up the financial slack. Douglas County Extension Service and Douglas County Senior Services both are looking into establishing fee schedules, wary of the county’s budget-tightening talk for 2005.

Commissioners even snatched back $7,814 of the county’s expected $522,814 allocation to Senior Services for next year, just to send a message that no new fees could mean no more money. Commissioners had thought about taking more, but that likely would have meant the end of a meals program.

“The cut … is something we can certainly live with, and it’s much more preferable to the $55,000 that was under discussion,” said Jessie Ann Lusher, the agency’s executive director. “We’re going to look at this as an opportunity, and to see what’s realistic — for the county and our participants.”