Commission asks staff for options to hold spending or reach R&R rate; water use and conservation discussed

City staff asked the commission for direction as they prepare for the Sept. 8 budget and R&R hearing, outlining options to hold spending at last year’s level or to adopt the recommended R&R property-tax rate.

City Manager Bridal said the gap to return to last year’s spending (or to avoid raising the effective tax burden) is roughly in the tens of thousands of dollars and asked the commission whether staff should prepare options to reduce expenditures or to adopt the R&R rate. Commissioners were split; several asked staff to present both options and specific suggested cuts so the public can see what services would be affected.

Bridal also reported high summer water usage approaching 2,000,000 gallons per day and warned that the local groundwater-management district may impose cuts (he cited potential reductions of about 15% in future years) if conservation does not improve. The commission discussed conservation measures other Kansas communities have used, such as seasonal watering restrictions and incentive programs, and asked staff to return with specific recommendations.

"If you'd like staff to come up with some specific recommendations, we can do that for the next meeting," Bridal said, and commissioners agreed to have staff prepare spending/R&R options and conservation proposals.

Next steps: Staff to prepare budget options (R&R level and a plan to hold last year’s spending), present recommended cuts and return with targeted conservation measures for consideration before the Sept. 8 hearing.