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Public commenter urges transparency on sales-tax sharing, suggests priorities for county officials
Summary
A public commenter praised county officials and urged greater transparency about how county sales tax revenues are shared with cities, questioned statutory sharing with Junction City, and recommended that commissioners focus on regulation, taxation and compensation in the coming year.
A longtime county resident addressing the Geary County Commission during public comment praised commissioners for their service, urged transparency about sales-tax revenue sharing with cities and suggested policy priorities for the year ahead.
The commenter said they had reviewed county sales-tax collections for 2024 and noted about $7.7 million was collected; they described how the county’s general sales tax is shared with cities under state statute and said they were surprised by an apparent requirement to share a portion with Junction City. “I have a clue I don't have a clue as a citizen who goes to Walmart and buy stuff why you do that other than because the state says so,” the commenter said. The individual urged commissioners to raise the question with state legislators about the logic behind statutory sharing arrangements.
The commenter also suggested three areas for county focus in the coming year: reducing regulation to lower government costs, vigilance on taxation to keep burdens on residents low, and careful attention to compensation for administrators and elected officials. They recommended commissioners continue regular salary studies and to consider compensation policies that align pay with experience and qualifications.
The public comment was delivered without a formal action by the commission; commissioners acknowledged the remarks and discussion in the meeting record.
