Garden City candidates urge voters to weigh sales-tax plan to replace aging law enforcement center

Garden City candidates told voters at a Sept. 25 candidate forum that the Finney County law enforcement center is in poor condition and that the proposed sales-tax ballot measure is the fastest path the county has presented to build a new facility and remodel the existing center.

The discussion centered on who owns the building and what happens if the sales-tax measure does not win voter approval. "The city does not own the LEC building; that is owned by the county," said Bryce Landgraf, a current Garden City commissioner, adding that the city is a tenant for about half the facility and has begun moving police staff to a temporary site. "Our police do not deserve to be in that building," Landgraf said.

Why it matters: Candidates said the LEC's condition affects officer safety and day-to-day operations and that funding choices have trade-offs for residents. Deborah "Deb" Euler, a former commissioner and 2023 mayor, described touring the center and said she was "embarrassed" by its condition. Euler urged voters to support the sales-tax approach as the quicker funding route, saying alternatives such as raising the mill levy would be slower and "take a lot longer" to produce funds.

Candidates described alternatives if the ballot measure fails. Landgraf said the city has rented a temporary facility and sought an option to purchase it "just in case" the ballot does not pass. Karen Canales Lozano and other candidates emphasized voter education about the difference between sales tax and property tax and encouraged turnout. Troy Unruh, a current commissioner, described the sales-tax proposal as a temporary levy that would stop when the project is paid; he also framed sales tax as shared by visitors and shoppers, not borne solely by local property owners.

Discussion vs. action: Candidates reported that the city commission recently decided not to renew its lease in the county-owned facility and moved police operations to a temporary building on Fleming Street; that move, as described by multiple candidates, is already underway. Candidates repeatedly framed the county's proposed solution as a sales-tax ballot initiative; no final voter result was recorded at the forum.

Context: Candidates said the county's proposal combines a new jail and remodeling so the sheriff's office and Garden City Police Department could co-locate; one candidate said the jail design would be a 200-bed facility. Candidates also highlighted that the sales tax would be borne in part by people who shop in Garden City, and they noted other funding options (property tax/mill levy) would likely take longer to implement.

Looking ahead: Forum participants urged voters to attend informational sessions and to vote. The moderator reminded the audience that the voter-registration deadline is Oct. 14 and election day is Nov. 4.