Hays Post
Chris McGowne, Joe Leroux, Nathan Leiker and Randy Marintzer are all on the Republican ballot for the Third District seat on the Ellis County Commission. The primary will be Tuesday, Aug. 2. The Third District is the largest in land size of the three county commission districts. It is made up of six townships, which includes the entire eastern edge of Ellis County and an area north of Hays.
After the passage of two quarter-cent sales taxes in 2020, the county short-term financial situation has improved but the taxes are scheduled to sunset in 2030. How do you propose the county improve its financial footing in the long term, and do you believe the sales tax should be extended?
The portion of the sales tax that went to the county alleviated some financial pressure on the county in leaner times. Without it, we may have had to reduce some of the services the county provides our community or even consider a reduction in county staff. Those things did not have to happen, and we have the sales tax revenue to thank. In eight years, when it sunsets, I would be supportive of an extension unless our financial position dramatically improved between now and then. Many things the county is doing now will help us improve our financial footing in the long run. Those things include staying on track with our county budget and utilizing ARPA funding in a strategic manner.
Past commissions have earmarked a portion of the sales tax for infrastructure upkeep and improvements. As a commissioner, would you continue to support that effort? Why or why not?
Infrastructure upkeep and improvement is an investment in our community and reduces expenses associated with our infrastructure in the long run. If you do not take the time to invest in preventative maintenance, you will incur a larger expense down the road when you must replace something in its entirety well before it would have aged out of service. I would continue to support those efforts as it will save the county money over time and provide a better level of infrastructure to our county in the meanwhile.
What do you see as the top concern of Ellis County voters over the next few years and what would you do to ease that concern?
Property valuations and the mill levy are concerns that have been shared with me. What I would say is that the county appraiser’s office has done a great job of following the direction the state requires that they follow when calculating the value of property. As the real estate market adjusts, so should valuations. There is a cyclic ebb and flow to those figures and the appraiser does well in capturing the correct value of property. To ease concern, I would urge anyone who is worried to take the time to meet with the appraiser’s office and learn more about the process so you can see how that number was calculated. As far as the mill levy goes, the county has done well with staying within budget despite the increased costs that inflation and supply and demand have caused. We are at 37.395 mills, and we anticipate the ability to stay close to there this next budget year. The sales tax provides the county a benefit that is the equivalent of 7.61 mills. Rest assured that being a good steward of your money is front of mind to all of us and something that a couple of us have identified as campaign commitments. So, hold us to that.
Should the Ellis County Commission be more or less proactive in economic development in the county and, if so, what is the best way to attract business to the area?
We could always do more. We need to continue to work with area organizations that promote economic development such as Grow Hays, the Hays Chamber, and Imagine Ellis County. From being involved with each organization prior to being a commissioner, I can say that they are aggressive and efficient about their mission to make Ellis County an even better place to live, work, and raise a family. The two issues of income appropriate housing and childcare availability are an impediment to our economic development efforts. To attract new businesses and to grow current businesses, those issues need to be addressed. We have great area employers, great schools, and a wonderful place to live. But if you don’t have housing options you can afford or a trustworthy place to help care for your child, you won’t want to live and work here. A strong partnership with the community organizations already in the thick of the fight is important for us to continue and strengthen so we can work together to fix these issues.
The commission has worked with the cities within Ellis County on various projects. Do you see any other opportunities for continued cooperation? Are there areas where the entities need to expand cooperation?
Most everyday gives us another opportunity to work with a city within the county. Our public works department and sheriff’s department are two great examples of the county working to help cities within the county. Continued support of all the cities is important as we need to work together to succeed together. I think more of an emphasis on the less populated cities is something we could work on more as they tend to not have the resources that Hays has. The success of Hays and the county are connected to one another, and I respect that the health of Hays has a huge impact on the health of the county. And when we can focus on a smaller city within the county, we should as they more need the assistance, and they are an important part of our county too.
In your view, what is the primary difference between how you would serve as a county commissioner and the other candidates?
The other candidates are all good people. I appreciate their interest in public service and that they put themselves out there as a candidate for the seat I currently have. It is not the easiest thing to do, and it can take time away from your work and family. So, I thank them for being candidates. A difference between them and I is that I am already your county commissioner. You know how I will serve because you have been able to see it in action for the better part of this year. As the only candidate who does not have a Hays address, I also have a different perspective than they might when it comes to serving on a county governing body as I look at how an issue will impact all of the county and not just one city within it. The other three do not have the combination of my service, leadership, and experience and that is the primary difference between me as your current commissioner and them as candidates.
In what ways does your personal and professional experience qualify you to serve as an Ellis County Commissioner?
For most of my adult life, I have served our community, state, and nation. I am a former cop, a former firefighter, a former US Navy sailor, and retired from the US Army. I am hardwired to serve and honored to do so. In addition to that long record of service and leadership, I have progressive experience with various Ellis County organizations that make me well suited to continue my service as a county commissioner. I have served on the board of directors for the Hays Chamber, Grow Hays, and on the Imagine Ellis County Committee. I am also a graduate of the state chamber of commerce’s Leadership Kansas program. During my time as an Ellis County Commissioner, I have been appointed to the governing board of the Kansas Association of Counties as a district commissioner and I am an active member of the Kansas County Commissioners Association. I am well qualified to serve on the county commission and currently do so. I have the service, leadership, and experience needed to stay on as your county commissioner.
What decision made by the county commission in the last few years did you disagree with and what would have been your decision?
From the perspective of having been on the Grow Hays board of directors prior to being on the county commission, I disagreed with what I felt was the county not being as proactive in their efforts in the category of economic development as they could be. Since being on the commission, I have had the chance to see that my perception was not as accurate as I had thought and that the county is deeply committed to economic development and improvements to our community. Two years ago, I did feel like they could have awarded more funds to organizations like Grow Hays, but a year ago the county did start increasing their financial investment in economic development and to groups like Grow Hays.
A group of area real estate agents have called for the commission to expand from three members to five. Do you believe the commission would benefit from expansion?
I do not have a preference on a three-, five-, or seven-member commission. If the majority of residents desire a larger commission, we should honor that desire and find a way to make it work. No matter the size, you still need at least three meetings to visit with all of us commissioners outside of a commission meeting. The reality is that the normal pre-vote process won't significantly change with more commissioners, but it would lower the likelihood of an issue not being voted on one way or the other if someone had to abstain from a vote. That could be a benefit though it is rare that someone has abstained from a vote. If the voters feel the additional expense of a larger commission is worth mitigating the risk of that from happening, then we should take their direction on how to spend their money. I do think if we increase the commission size, to make it more affordable, we should – if allowed – do away with the health care plan option for commissioners and take the salary of the three and divide it by five so it does not cost as much for our county to have a larger commission. We would still have the costs associated with redistricting but the costs we can control, we should.
Opponents of the effort claim that it will make the commission less transparent, do you agree or disagree? What would you do to ensure transparency?
I agree that if the intent is to have enough private meetings with different sets of two commissioners before a vote to have a better sense of the outcome of a vote, then, yes, that would make the commission less transparent. Even if that did not happen, the perception from the public that it could happen may be enough to undermine the public’s confidence in a fair and transparent voting process from the county commissioners. No matter how a vote turns out, it should be done in front of the public in an open forum. All the commissioners can be called, emailed, and met with by anyone prior to a vote. This can happen with three, five, or seven of us. I have been very accessible to anyone who has wanted to visit with me about any issue and that would never change while I was a commissioner. The other two are also good about meeting with anyone prior to a vote. What currently can’t happen is two commissioners meeting outside of a public forum, on record, to discuss an upcoming vote. If we went to five, then two could meet as it would not be a majority of the commissioners. Though legal, it would not seem right to me, and I would avoid those type of meetings to do my part to ensure the transparency of at least how I would vote.
Editor's note: Hays Post compiled a list of relevant questions for all candidates, who received and responded to that same list.