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Valley Center city budget holds the line on taxes
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: June 22, 2017

With the help of a healthy uptick in the overall assessed property valuation in Valley Center, the City of Valley Center's proposed operating budget for 2018 will hold the line on property taxes.

City Administrator Scott Hildebrand presented the proposal to the city council June 20.

The budget is buoyed by a 4.2 percent increase in valuations. Before getting the figures from Sedgwick County, city leaders had considered a tax increase for public safety based on an estimated small jump in valuations.

Because of a state-imposed tax lid that goes into effect in 2018 and ties a city's revenue increases to the consumer price index, Valley Center will only benefit from about 2.68 percent of that valuation increase.

Still, the increase will allow the city to actually lower the property tax mill levy from 55.640 mills to 55.589 in 2018.

"I'm very excited taxes are not going up," said council member Brendan McGettigan.

Hildebrand said the 2018 budgets in each department are similar to 2017 levels. The notable exceptions are a list of initiatives the council has been discussing during the past year. Those include the purchase of an inspection vehicle for community development, economic development initiatives and Main Street revitalization, replacement of two police patrol vehicles, a new supervisory position in the police department, police vehicle cameras and Tasers, an update of the parks master plan, a dog park in Lions Park, a storage facility for cemetery maintenance, audio-visual system upgrades at City Hall, fire department bunker gear and training equipment and a sidewalk on Fifth Street to Wetland Park.

Hildebrand said each expense is tied to specific goals set by the city's strategic plan.

Hildebrand said the city's utility funds — streets, water, sewer and stormwater — would remain at 2017 levels without the need for rate increases (aside from the annual regular adjustments).

The next step for the budget will be setting the spending limit and publishing a notice of public hearing. That should take place during the council's next meeting, which will be 6 p.m. June 27. After the public hearing, the council will take final action on the spending plan. The budget is due to the county clerk's office by Aug. 25.

In other business June 20, the council:

•Heard military veteran and Valley Center resident Ron Colbert talk about a program to honor Vietnam War era veterans through a commemoration program. A local committee, of which Colbert is the chairman, will be organizing events designed to present pins to veterans who served from 1955 through 1975.

•Approved the re-appointment of Rod Jackson to the Valley Center Recreation Commission board.

•Gave final approval to an employee longevity ordinance.





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