Property Taxes – State law dictates specific elements of our taxes including the % of taxation for each type of property, valuation methodology, the levy for the statewide school general fund, exemptions, and property tax relief programs. Local government entities manage the mill levies and budgets based on needs and wants. Local elected officials should continue to advocate for state law changes while focusing on investing tax dollars wisely and increasing revenue through economic development and tourism.
Economic Development – Attracting large businesses and fostering growth of small businesses will increase revenue and provide jobs. The Port Authority and Leavenworth County Development Corporation are focused on developing business parks and attracting large businesses. Cities are also working to attract businesses. It is important for economic development organizations to work together to attract businesses that will be great partners in the community.
Tourism – The objective is to encourage people to visit Leavenworth County and spend their money to increase sales tax revenue. The Main Street program does a good job promoting Leavenworth; however, promotion of agritourism businesses out in the county is outside their scope of responsibility. Recommend finding a way to promote the whole county and exploring new recreational opportunities to attract tourism. There are also plans underway for new museums at Ft. Leavenworth and the old Lansing Correctional Facility which will help with tourism.
Residential Growth – The demand for housing and new development contributes to the increased property valuations, especially in the south half of the county. Our challenge is the new development and additional people drive the need for new infrastructure, i.e., schools, roads, water, fire, ambulance, and police/sheriff services. If we focus development & redevelopment close to where infrastructure already exists, it is less costly to taxpayers. Citizens also need to accept that growth is inevitable and help advocate for sustainable development practices.
Rural, Small-Town Character – It is important to acknowledge that citizens like their community and are concerned about the change growth will bring. The study associated with the Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2020 indicates most respondents would like to retain the rural character of the county. The question is “what is rural character” and “how can we maintain it and manage growth”? In my opinion, rural character means keep the small-town feel by not having stoplight-after-stoplight, congestion, noise, and increased crime; and to ensure there is open space to enjoy the outdoors and provide land for growing food, family farms, and agritourism.
Utilities Infrastructure – Most of the new subdivisions in the county are on septic tanks, no sewers or drains. This may create an environmental problem in the future, especially for the larger subdivisions. Water runoff is also a problem. In addition, 2” water mains are not sufficient for fighting fires and water must be trucked in. Infrastructure will continue to be a challenge with the existing budget. The formation of the proposed Utilities Commission is a good first step to identifying needs, potential solutions and estimated cost.
Roads & Buildings Infrastructure – The county does a good job in keeping up with the maintenance on most of the existing roads. It isn’t likely that we will pave gravel roads, outside of County Road 30, because we currently cannot afford it. The courthouse needs repairs as well as some of the bridges. A structured process should be used to prioritize capital expenditures. The county should continue to seek grants to help pay for infrastructure projects. Significant expenditures on infrastructure, i.e., new roads or bridges, would, ideally, be put to the vote of the people.
Relationships & Collaboration – It would benefit the county, stakeholders, and citizens to work together more collaboratively. All entities and departments should be communicating regularly and working together. Where possible, engage citizens to gather ideas and identify potential solutions.
Customer Service – Core services should be provided in a timely and professional manner and metrics used to measure performance. The public should have access to the operational results.
Transparency – The county made a significant step forward when they started livestreaming work sessions. Another opportunity is to make additional budget details available including year-over-year expenditures and headcount trends. Communicating information in a clear, concise manner will help obtain citizen support for the decisions which need to be made.