Emporia City Manager Trey Cocking is among local officials encouraging residents to get out and cast their ballots either now or in two weeks for the general election.
As a reminder, one of the major races on the local ballot is the City Commission election, where there will be at least two new commissioners appointed, with incumbents Jamie Sauder and Susan Brinkman both choosing not to seek re-election. With that in mind, Cocking stated during KVOE’s monthly Q&A With Trey Tuesday morning that it is important for local voters to do their research and make the most informed decision possible as they are electing the individuals who will be making the critical decisions that most directly impact them.
While November 4 is election day, Cocking stated he likes to look at it as “The last day to vote,” reminding residents they do have the opportunity to vote now, thanks to advance voting currently underway both through mail ballots and in-office voting at the Lyon County Election Office.
Also during his comments, Cocking explained how the election process will work in this regard, noting there are three seats up for election with the top two vote getters set to serve a four-year term and the third-highest vote getter serving a two-year term.
Among the candidates are incumbent Tyler Curtis, who was appointed to the commission last year to fill the remainder of the late Danny Giefer’s term. Also on the ballot are Denise Gilligan, Monica Duncan, Tammi Ogle, Kurt Steinkuhler, Aaron Larson, Travis Hitt and write-in candidate Kenneth Gardner.
On a separate, but related, topic during his interview on Tuesday, Cocking noted that whoever is chosen to fill the seats on the commission come November 4, they will have a lot of work ahead of them with several projects and issues either beginning or developing over the last several months. One of those issues, which has seen a lot of discussion among leadership and vocalization from residents, has been property taxes.
As KVOE News has reported, the city of Emporia previously invited other taxing entities, Lyon County and USD 253 Emporia, as well as the Emporia Recreation Commission, to join a joint task force to address various issues, including the matter of property taxes. Those invitations were ultimately tabled with no further discussions taking place since.
With this in mind, KVOE News asked Cocking if he feels that having new voices on the commission, some of whom have stated they would be in favor of the task force, could help resurrect discussions among other entities. His response:
When it comes to taxes paid, Cocking says the city accounts for less of the final total than the county and school district, with both accounting for roughly 34 percent of an individual’s property tax statement, while the city accounts for roughly 27 percent. It has also been stated in recent weeks that when it comes to these property tax dollars, citizens are contributing not only to city infrastructure and services but also to many in the county, with Deputy City Manager Mark Detter saying city residents are essentially subsidizing services and quality of life for county residents with little to no reciprocation.
This is one of the main reasons why the city not only conceived the idea of the joint task force, but also why commissioners have previously stated it is vital for other taxing authorities to be involved if they are to find a viable solution to the issue.
