Credit where it's due
You've got to pity the poor people whose tedious job it is to piece together a yearly budget.
Keeping track of all those digits, points, and mills is hard enough. Once you've figured out how to squeeze the most out of every last penny, then it's time for the public's approval. Or disapproval.
And the task facing Hillsboro's governmental bodies has been a daunting one.
For USD 410, early estimates showed that the district might need to cut nearly $300,000 from the 2003-04 budget. Thankfully that tentative number didn't hold, and the needs were much less than previously anticipated.
But the district has the state of Kansas to thank for the delayed budget dilemma. Gov. Sebelius moved up 2004's second property tax guideline from July to June, and the additional cash flow will go straight into the school district's 03-04 budget instead of 04-05.
No word yet on how that will affect the 04-05 budget. Sebelius' solution is a temporary one at best.
The city has faced its share of problems too. Aside from the recent water crisis, which no doubt brings an unexpected expense to the Hillsboro checkbook, Kansas municipalities have faced reduced funding from the state level.
Yet with all these challenges, Hillsboro's elected officials have stepped up to the plate and made the right decision: not to raise taxes.
Or at least the mill levy, anyway. Whether or not your property taxes will increase is between you and your county appraiser.
But as far as the city and USD 410 is concerned, your mill levies won't rise. USD 410's overall levy stays exactly the same, and the city's goes up just a fraction of a fraction — by 0.003.
That's good news — and that's the right move.
— JENNIFER WILSON
