By MIKE CORN

mcorn@dailynews.net

WaKEENEY -- Despite financial troubles brought on by a state government awash in red ink, the board of education for WaKeeney USD 208 was urged to do all it can to keep the district alive.

"I would encourage the board to do everything they can to keep all the programs and athletics," said WaKeeney City Administrator Hardy Howard. "We are the only school district in the county."

That's significant because many efforts have focused on paring down the list of districts operating in a county to just one.

"I would also bet dollars to doughnuts that Ellis and Quinter are going to do everything they can to keep their school districts viable," Howard said.

Howard's comments came well after he presented the city's side of the financial picture during a meeting Thursday in the auditorium at Trego Community High School in WaKeeney.

The meeting was something of a mirror image of one earlier this month in Quinter, other than WaKeeney's included comments from the city and county and the Trego County-Lemke Memorial Hospital director.

It was the hospital that provided a ray of hope when director Jean Dean reported agreements had just been signed with a board-certified pediatrician and family practice physician to start seeing patients in WaKeeney in May.

While Dean offered up a relatively healthy outlook, she remained cautious.

Medicaid payments have been reduced by 10 percent as of Jan. 1, she said, the result of state shortfalls.

"They are also raising the rate people will have to pay to have Medicaid," she said.

While Dean said the hospital is working with Colby Community College to develop a teaching program based in WaKeeney, she said it's important the Legislature stop cutting programs.

And, she cautioned, the No. 1 recruiting tool for the hospital is the status of the schools.

Howard and Trego County Commission Chairman Dean Papes both gave good reports for the city and county.

Howard said the city likely is suffering the most because of a reduction in interest rates, and "just recently, I've noticed a slight decline in sales tax."

What's saving the city, he said, is several big projects have just been completed.

That's the same for Trego County, Papes said, and much of that was paid for by a spike in oil valuations.

Generally, Papes said, the county has been keeping its property tax levy somewhere between 70 and 75 mills, financing a $5 million to $6 million budget.

Trego County has about 55 employees, about half of them in the road and bridge department.

Papes noted the county is second in the state for the total number of miles of roads.

With 10 road maintainers, it takes quite a while to get over every mile, he said.

But as he credited Dale Pfannenstiel and his crew for the road work, Papes was corrected on how many miles of roads criss-cross Trego County.

Pfannestiel said the number is 1,240 miles instead.

"If anybody knows of any roads to close, we'd like to close some," Papes said.