The Unified Government Commission on Thursday, July 14, approved a maximum mill levy amount and also heard findings from studies that urged changes to the UG and some departments.
The maximum mill levy that was set was not the final mill levy for the property tax bills next year. Instead, it was an amount that the UG Commission will not exceed; the commission could still set a lower mill levy, or could keep it the same, according to UG officials.
The maximum mill levy that was set was 38.48 mills for the city of Kansas City, Kansas, and 39.338 for Wyandotte County.
The UG Commission did pass a measure that stated it intended to exceed the revenue neutral rate.
Commissioner Angela Markley said it was the same rate as last year’s tax levy, however, the property valuation had increased, meaning it would raise more dollars from property.
The commission is not required to lower the mill levy more than the maximum, however, it cannot go above the maximum that was set. It is still some weeks away from a final decision on the budget.
Exceeding the revenue neutral rate requires a public hearing under the state law, and the hearing will be at 7 p.m. Aug. 22 at City Hall.
Commissioner Tom Burroughs supported remarks by Mayor Tyrone Garner that were in favor of lowering the mill levy and some fees.
In other action July 14, the UG Commission heard a presentation of studies that recommended changes to some UG departments and the UG structure.
The studies were done under the direction of UG Interim Administrator Cheryl Harrison-Lee. They were at a high-level overview.
According to the Meriweather Group, which conducted a human resources audit, several recommendations were made. The Meriweather Group stated that the hiring process could be improved, as well as paperwork, data collection, and general policies and procedures in human resources.
The UG should conduct a pay equity analysis and put in place a performance management system that would help employees understand and reach objectives and performance standards, according to the Meriweather Group.
The quality of service from HR was said to be unreliable, unresponsive, not accessible and inconsistent, according to the Meriweather Group. To remedy it, the group recommended changes in staff, policies, process and technology.
Byron Marshall and Scott Meyer, consultants, presented an overall review of the UG and its finance operations.
The UG was formed 25 years ago from the city of Kansas City, Kansas, and Wyandotte County. The consultants discussed potential realignment for the UG.
A realignment of county administration was recommended in managing department functioning. The consultants suggested putting like departments together under an assistant administrator. Currently some assistant administrators are over groups of departments that are not like each other, according to the consultants. It is an ideal time to make changes since there were two assistant administrator positions open. Also, the consultants felt the UG could benefit from collaborative work among the departments. They cited the UG’s SOAR program as an initiative that worked among departments.
A common management system would help departments bring their management into line with the commission’s priorities and strategic goals, according to the consultants.
The consultants recommended the UG enter into an extensive strategic planning process to establish the priorities and measure them. A measurement system could tell whether the goals are being met.
Some of the UG commissioners pointed out during the meeting that the commission did not vote its approval to conduct these studies, and that there was no money set aside by the commission for the study. There was no vote taken on the studies at the meeting.
For more details of this meeting, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BaDfB9__Og.