To:                         Boards of County Commissioners throughout Kansas

                                From:                   Gene Merry, Coffey County Commissioner and President,

                                                                                Kansas Association of Counties

                                Subject:                               2005 KAC Membership Dues and the status of  the KAC

                                Date:                     December 30, 2004

 

 

This letter of introduction and information is being sent to you and other boards of county commissioners across Kansas as a way to inform you of news from the Kansas Association of Counties and our plans for 2005.  On December 9, the KAC Board held its annual reorganizational meeting in Topeka.  I was elected President of the 2005 Board, and I am pleased to serve with a dedicated team of officers, including Dennis Peterson, KAC Vice President (Riley County Noxious Weed Director); Florence Whitebread, KAC Secretary (Geary County Commis-

sioner); and John Miller, KAC Treasurer (Norton County Commissioner).  At the meeting, the board was informed that the Kansas County Clerks and Elected Officials Association, Kansas County Treasurers Association, and Kansas Sheriffs Association had voted to not rejoin the KAC in 2005.  A few days later, the Kansas Register of Deeds Association took similar action to not renew their membership in 2005.

 

As such, the KAC Governing Board is now comprised of 13 persons, including the four persons listed in the paragraph above as well as: Lonie Addis, Labette County Commissioner and our representative on the National Association of Counties (NACo) Board; Ted Ensley, Shawnee County Commissioner and KAC Past President; Eileen Filbert, Jefferson County Health Department Administrator; Shannon Francis, Seward County Commissioner; Mary Messamore, Sherman County Emergency Management Director; Alvin Perez, Republic County Highway Administrator; Gary Post, Lyon County Appraiser;  Nick Saldan, Deputy Johnson County Counselor; and Tom Winters, Sedgwick County Commissioner. 

 

On December 9, the KAC Governing Board adopted a 2005 budget of $759,830, a reduction of $13,620 or 1.8% from the 2004 budget. This is the second consecutive year that the KAC budget has been reduced from the previous year’s budget.  I am confident in speaking for the KAC Board that no one on the board was comfortable with or pleased with the 2005 budget as adopted.  It is inadequate to preserve and continue the important programs and services to which we have all become accustomed.  Further, it reflects consecutive years of investment in important programs such as the Kansas County Government Institute education programs, for which the KAC has used cash balances and for which we have not recovered our costs. Nevertheless, we adopted the 2005 budget of $759,830 knowing full well that the KAC Board will, in all probability, revise the budget two or three or more times throughout the year, as we work to balance our revenues and expenses and maximize our spending wherever possible. 

 

The 2005 KAC budget is funded, in part, by $355,300 in membership dues from our member counties.  The 2005 dues assessed statewide represent a 10% increase from the aggregate amount assessed last year (2004).  The dues increase is vital to the continued financial stability of the Association and to restoration of some of the education programs and services offered to our members. To give some perspective, the KAC Board has assessed county membership dues as follows over the past several years:

 

 

 

Year                                $  Total Dues Assessed                                 % Change from Prior Year   

 

2005                                $  355,300                                                10.0

2004                                $  323,000                                                  0.0

2003                                $  323,000                                                  0.0

2002                                $  323,000                                                  1.8

2001                                $  317,330                                                     3.7

2000                                $  306,000                                                  0.0

1999                                $  306,000                                                  0.0

 

In 2005, the basic structure of the KAC dues allocation formula will remain very much like it has in the past, but with adjustments in the base fees and maximum dues.  As such,

 

                1)  All member counties will pay a base fee of $470 (formerly $425),

                                which generates $49,350 if all counties join;

                2)  The remaining balance of $305,950 will be split equally ($152,975

each) and allocated to counties based on population (50%) and

assessed valuation (50%); provided that

                                                3)   No county pays more than $12,760 in dues (previously capped at

$11,600).

 

Individual dues assessments to counties vary from year to year based on relative changes in population and assessed valuation among all counties. As such, your county’s dues are determined not only by your county’s data, but the data of other counties as well.  For purposes of policy decisions made by the membership at our annual conference, one vote is allocated to each member county regardless of population or assessed valuation.  As such, adoption of our annual legislative policy statement affords each county equal participation in the discussion and ultimate outcome. 

 

What have we accomplished by working together?

 

To this point, I have only discussed the resources necessary to ensure that the KAC is successful.  We must not lose sight of what we have accomplished over the past several years – all of which could not have happened without your participation.  Our success can be measured by legislative policy victories and by improvements to services and programs secured through gains in our educational

programs to counties and county officials.

 

Just since 1999, the KAC has played a major role in the following legislative victories and accomplishments:

 

1)  Passage of E-911 Legislation, which provides approximately $5 million

annually to local public safety answering points (PSAPs). In addition, a similar amount will be available for grants to PSAPs in counties under 75,000 in population;

   

                                2)  Local Compensating Use Tax, as part of the Streamlined Sales Tax

legislation,  which has brought increased revenues to counties that have

county-option sales taxes;

 

                                3)  Removal of the Aggregate Tax Levy Limitation, or “Tax Lid,” which

previously limited annual growth in local property tax levies under a prescribed formula;

               

 

                                4)  Gained authority for Counties to use Solid Waste Fees to finance

recycling  programs;

 

                                5)   Fought off legislation that would remove local control of siting landfills;

 

                                6)   Kept important exemptions to the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA)

from being repealed;

 

                                7)   Maintained the waste tire program at the state level, successfully resisting

efforts to hand it to counties as an unfunded mandate;

                                               

                                 8)   Gained authority for counties to draft their own policies for disposal of

                                                county property; and

 

                                9)   Gained authority for counties to (optionally) participate in the State of

Kansas’ group employee health insurance programs.

 

 

Additionally, our educational programs through the Kansas County Government Institute have inspired, motivated, and encouraged county officials and employees (elected and appointed) to do their best.  Participant reviews from persons involved in our Effective Supervisory Skills certificate program, Customer Service Excellence certificate program, and the Leadership Academy for County Commissioners have been excellent.  Many attribute personal and organizational successes to “light bulbs going on” during one or many of the KAC’s educational programs.

 

How does this all continue?  Through your county’s membership and your county’s active participation in the KAC.  It all takes resources, planning, and organization for success to occur. We cannot do it alone.  We need each other.

 

Here at the Association, we are preparing for the start of  the 2005 legislative session, which begins on Monday, January 10, 2005. In the next few days, counties will receive copies of the KAC’s 2005 Legislative Policy Statement document, which explains our 2005 positions on various state and federal issues as determined by the membership at our annual conference. The KAC will again distribute by broadcast email and also by posting to our web site –-- (www.kansascounties.org) – a weekly KAC Legislative Bulletin on most Fridays during the legislative session, with additional alerts as necessary.  If you subscribed to our free, electronic Legislative Bulletin last year, you will continue to receive it again this year.  If your email address has changed since last year, however, you will want to quickly re-subscribe at our website. If you have any questions or need assistance in subscribing, please contact Michelle Brown in our office:  brown@kansascounties.org

 

We hope to see all of you at County Government Day 2005, to be held at the Topeka Capitol Plaza Hotel, 1717 SW Topeka Blvd, on Tuesday, February 15, 2005. We are lining up a group of excellent speakers. More information will be printed in the January, 2005 County Comment and in our upcoming Legislative Bulletins.

 

                                Thank You.

 

I am aware that these are difficult times for many of our members. I am also aware that we have a big job ahead to unite our group so that we can be effective.  I ask for your support, and pledge that we will work hard to earn it.  On behalf of the KAC Board and staff, thank you for your commitment to county government and to the KAC.  As always, I invite your questions and suggestions.  Please be in touch. 

 

                               

 

                                Enclosures

 

 

 

                                cc:   KAC Governing Board  (by email)