Diehl calls for increased cooperation, communication (full text)
By KALEY LYON
HDN: What is your stance on the proposed Ellis County wind farm projects? What benefits or concerns do you foresee?
GD: "My biggest problem with the wind farm as it's currently proposed is it's too close to Hays. "l've been trying to make contact with people on both sides of the issue and I think that's one of the biggest problems, is that people aren't talking to each other on both sides of the issue.
"I think a compromise could be reached... Nobody looks at both sides of the issue and starts talking.
"We have the City of Hays looking for office space, we have the county looking for office space. Why aren't those two talking together? That's a possibility. I think lines of communication need to be opened between city/county, between opponents/proponents for the wind farm, pro-zoning/anti-zoning people.
"I think compromises can be reached, but people are going to have to talk. And if I'm elected county commissioner, I will listen to both sides of every issue. I pride myself on doing the research and I will continue to do that."
"I think it's just basically communication. I think a lot of hard feelings would have been eliminated if people talked to each other."
HDN: What are your thoughts on the current county-wide zoning process?
GD: "It can work. When zoning first was proposed in Ellis County, I was basically neutral on it because I lived in Hays and we had zoning in Hays.
"Then when I moved out in the country there was no zoning. So I was used to zoning and it didn't bother me that I didn't have zoning, so basically I was neutral on the issue.
"It doesn't bother me one way or the other. Now that we have it, I think we should make it work. Once again, it's a communication."
HDN: What do you perceive the relationship between the county commission and the planning commission to be?
GD: "What I would like to see is, I think there are nine zoning board members, and I think three should be from each commission district. Each commissioner appoints three.
"District 1 commissioner proposes three zoning board members from his district, District 2 same thing, 3.
"I know there's a problem, one of the commissioners was saying he was having a hard time filling vacancies. Say if I have three in District 2 and I can't find somebody to serve, it can open up to the other two commissioners.
"But I'd like to see equal representation on the zoning board throughout the county."
HDN: Any changes you would propose?
GD: "The rules are in place. It's just following the rules. A lot of people are upset the t's aren't crossed and the i's dotted.
"I think if we just follow the procedures that are in place, that will go a long way to sooth people's concerns about the zoning process."
HDN: What are your thoughts on the space needs issue and the proposed Hadley Center relocation?
GD: "They haven't done their homework. They've done their homework on the Hadley Center, but from what I heard last night they've kind of brushed off the Eddy Clinic.
"They don't know what the cost of remodeling the courthouse would be for court services. We have no idea what the cost would be to add a third floor to the law enforcement center for additional jail.
"When I was listening to that, I heard one great idea on how to save the city/county some money, and that was the Army reserve center. The city said no, they don't want to put their offices down there, and there was an idea presented last night to move the senior center down there.
"It supposedly costs zero dollars for the senior center. Why not, when the lease is up at the current location, move the seniors down there and start saving the city and county money right off the bat? That was a great idea.
"The more I was listening last night, I'm wondering are we moving the wrong people? We're having a jail issue, we're having court room issues, we're having security issues. Are we looking at the wrong thing?
"Do we need to look at a different judicial center instead of administrative offices? Nobody has even bothered to bring that up.
What would it cost to put the sheriff, city police -- we can talk to the city of Hays -- put them under one roof with the court services, with the prosecutors, all under one roof?
"Then you can design something where an inmate isn't walking down the hall.
He can be brought in through a separate corridor or whatever, and we don't have jurors walking between two opposing sides. I think that question needs to be answered too.
"I think there's a lot of questions that just need to be answered. If you lay everything out on the table, the cost of the Eddy Clinic as opposed to the Hadley Center, the cost of remodeling the courthouse and the law enforcement center on top of moving the offices. Does it make more sense to move that out?
"We have no idea because that research has not been done."
HDN: How do you view relations between Ellis County and the communities within? Do you believe anything could be done to improve city/county relations?
GD: "I think ... it can be a lot better. We have combined the ambulance service and it's working great.
"Maybe we need to start looking at some consolidation of services, start saving the taxpayers some money. I know the ambulance services worked, can other departments work?
"I think, once again, it's just a communication problem. We just need to sit down as a county commission to visit with the Ellis City Commission, the Victoria City Commission, the Hays City Commission.
"I think once the lines of communication get opened, I think great things can be done. I think the future would be great for this county and the cities within.
"We have the city looking for office spaces, we have the county looking for office spaces, why aren't they talking?
"That's my first question. Why are we proposing separate areas? Can't we save money having everything under one roof? Maybe it wouldn't work out, but how do we know if we don't ask?
"I think city/county cooperation between the smaller cities and Hays would only do good for the taxpayers of Ellis County and the taxpayers of the cities. You look at the equipment the city has to have, that the county has to have. Maybe we can start sharing.
"I know there's turf issues and things but I think communication... that's my big thing. We need to start talking."
HDN: With taxes on the rise from last year to this year, and local property values also increasing, how does this affect the local budget? What are your thoughts about the current finance formula?
GD: "Ellis County does not have a sales tax. That's basically the only way the county could increase cash flow, is with a sales tax. I'm not proposing one way or the other a sales tax, but that was brought out at the meeting last night.
"I think we have a window of opportunity with the higher oil valuation that we shouldn't be seeing these mill levy increases, but we are.
"Even if the mill levy stays the same and your house valuation goes up, you're paying more in taxes. "I think we need to look at all finance options. We need to look at especially at county spending.
"We're seeing dramatic increases in government spending. As a business owner, I have to cut back some things to reduce expenses. I think government can do the same.
"We need to run our government more like a business. Not, well gas prices went up so therefore we're just going to tax more. Maybe we need to look at cutting back somewhere."
HDN: Should the mill levy be reduced to compensate for increased valuation?
GD: "Sure, with our increased valuation, if the mill levy goes up, that means increased taxes. I would really want to see the budget when it comes out. It sounds like they're going to have some dramatic increases and that concerns me greatly."
HDN: Why did you decide to run for office?
GD: "It all started with the zoning thing kind of peaked my interest a little bit, then the wind farm debate. I got more active trying to figure out how county government is actually being run.
"I was looking at the reporting that was being done about county government, the space needs, and it really bothered me that the research wasn't being done the questions weren't being asked.
"City/county cooperation wasn't even brought to the table and I'd like to see those things implemented and I don't see how it's going to be. Somebody has to do it.
"It was a tough decision deciding to run. I have a business to run and it takes time to run a business. I really feel... I really want to give the people another option.
"We can have the same old, same old or we can have some new ideas. I want to bring to the table different ideas, new ideas, start people talking, communicating.
"I think we can save the taxpayers significant sums of money just with cooperation."
HDN: Any other issue you would like to address?
GD: "Fiscal responsibility. That just goes with opening dialogue, looking at our current budget, economic development. I think where ag and oil is super right now, but people are feeling the pinch with higher food prices, higher gasoline prices. So I really think we need to watch our taxes. Not everybody's boat is being lifted by the same tide."
"I just want to bring some different ideas to the table. I've got lots of ideas."
"One of the things that bothers me too is when I was going to the county commission meetings, it's at 8:45 in the morning. I had to take off work to see how my county government is being run. "Why isn't the county commission meeting at 7 at night, to where the average person can go and see how their government is being run. I don't understand that.
"I have to own my own business to be able to take off time to be able to go in the morning, if I'm elected county commissioner, to be a commissioner. The average working guy could not run for county commission. There's no way an employer would want him off every single Monday.
"I think we need to open up our government to more citizen participation. The best way is to have the meetings in the evening when average working people can attend.
"We need the county commission minutes on the Internet. I wanted to see what the county commission has decided and I get a big thick book. How do I do a word search in that?
"We need to open up government. The minutes have to be on the Internet. You have to be able to search the minutes to find what you're looking for. Maybe even televising the commission meetings.
"We need to open up government. Citizens need to see everything's above board, there's nothing hidden, we need transparency. There's too many rumors flying around town, but if we open up the process and I'd love to see the county commission meetings in the evening to where average people could run for a commission seat. We need more government participation."
"All of our peer counties in western Kansas have a county administrator, except for Ellis County... Why are we paying county commissioners $19,000 with a Cadillac health care plan for a part-time job, when you should have a full-time administrator.
"I don't want the taxpayers to pay for a new administrator. I'd forego a salary to get an administrator to help me with my job.
"I've got lots of ideas. Bring this idea to the table. It might not fly, it might. But we need open discussions on a lot of issues, and that's just another one."