Former Galva Mayor, Wayne Ford, dies

Wayne Ford, who was the mayor of Galva from 1977 until this past January, died on Sunday, July 21, at his home in Galva. He was 74 years old. 

Ford took over as the mayor of Galva from Bud Myers in 1977 and served in that role for more than 40 years. Myrna Walline took over for Ford as mayor earlier this year.

Funeral arrangements are pending with Stockham Family Funeral Home in McPherson and we will have the obituary posted when it’s available. 

MFD responding to fire on North Maxwell

The McPherson Fire Department reported at 2:08 p.m. that it is responding to a garage fire on North Maxwell. They have advised citizens to avoid the area until they have put out the fire. 

UPDATE AS OF 3:10 P.M.

The garage fire was knocked out quickly, limiting damage to the structure. McPherson Fire Department personnel is now working on rehab and investigation. North Maxwell will be closed "for awhile". 

2020 McPherson Budget Hearing scheduled for August 5

For the 2020 proposed budget, the city of McPherson was able to hold the mill levy very close to the 2019 mill level by examining and holding down expenditures wherever it could. The public hearing notice for the 2020 Budget Hearing will be published on July 23, 2019. The Budget Hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Monday, August 5, 2019 at the Municipal Center. Anyone who is interested may speak at that time. By law, once the budget has been published in legal form, the budget cannot be increased. However, after taking input at the public hearing, the commission could choose to decrease the budget. 

The 2019 budget authority was $62,329,842 with a mill levy of 51.843. This budget authority includes expenditures for all funds that derive their source from various user fees, ad valorem taxes, sales taxes, reserves, and other revenue sources. During the 2020 budget process the city commissioners revised the 2019 expenditures to actual spending level of $40,639,132. They are looking at a 2020 budget authority of $52,330,359. The actual budgeted dollars levied with ad valorem taxes went from $6,464,712 in 2019 funded by an estimated mill levy of 51.894 which is slight increase over from the adjusted mill levy for 2019 (51.843) which is just over the 51.392 average of the last ten years. This mill levy still allows for anticipated increased costs of a fully staffed police department, one (1) new firefighter and one (1) new fire training captain position, funding the first phase of the compensation study, an increased levy of our Debt Service fund to pay the city’s bonded and indebtedness in support of infrastructure of residential development projects, and anticipated increased public safety operating and equipment costs. All tax levied funds were in compliance with the Kansas Tax Lid requirement for limiting growth to a 1.5% of the preceding five-year average change in the consumer price index as published by the US Department of Labor (K.S.A. 79-2925c). 

Estimated assessed valuation within the city for 2020 budget development is $125,615,391, up slightly from the $124,696,729 estimated assessed valuation for the 2019 budget. This slight increase of .737% in the overall assessed valuation is a result of the real estate valuation .65% from the $118,739,266 to $119,514,449 along with a moderate increase of 11.92% of the State Assessed Utilities from $1,980,504 to $2,216,629. Unfortunately, personal property valuation dropped 2.39% from $3,976,959 from the expected amount in 2019 to an expected amount of $3,883,313 in 2020, this coupled with new improvements within the city limits dropping from $1,056,600 previously to $411,536 which pulls the valuation increase down.

Work on the proposed 2020 budget began in April, according to City Administrator Nick Gregory. Department heads were responsible for projecting the next year’s revenues and expenses. In May, June and July, the commissioners prioritized the requests and developed the budget. The 2020 Budget preparation as in the past years was an exercise in prioritizing the most essential needs within the city organization as well as insuring compliance with the state mandated tax lid. Department heads brought focused lists of needs, and the City Commission went through a painstaking process to consider and review all requests. In an effort to maintain a moderately flat mill levy, only the most critical needs were funded for 2020 Budget. Also funded in the 2020 budget are many of the recommendations associated with 2018/2019 Compensation study. The City Commission is implementing those elements of the study that are fiscally responsible yet keep McPherson competitive in relevant job markets. Gregory also pointed out that “everyone is striving to operate as efficiently as possible.”

“Though our proposed 2020 assessed valuation increase was less than we anticipated,” Gregory further believes that “both our departments are our local elected officials have come together to present a budget that limits ad valorem increases for our citizens. Through the governing body efforts towards managing the budget the proposed levy for 2020 is $435,007 below the computed tax levy limit of $6,953,616. All departments continue to evaluate during 2019 and 2020 services, functions and other expenses that can be adjusted, if required, to make any cuts when preparing the 2021 budget.”

In summary, the city has held a tight rein on the mill levy gain this year, as this year’s budgeted mill levy is only slightly higher (.051 mills) more than the 2019 adjusted mill levy (51.843).

Specific budget information is available at the office of the city clerk and also will be available at the budget hearing.