Allen County is doing pretty well, First District Commissioner Jerry Daniels said.
He hopes voters agree and will keep him in the post when they head to the polls Nov. 6.
The county benefits from businesses and industries such as Enbridge Pipeline, B&W Trailer Hitches, Monarch Cement, Gates Rubber Co., Russell Stover and more.
Those companies keep the countys assessed valuation basically, the value of property for tax purposes at a high enough rate to keep residential property taxes low while still being able to pay for things like road improvements and salary increases for county employees.
But thats only part of the story, Daniels said:
Efforts by determined citizens, with support from commissioners, helped provide grocery store options like G&W Foods in Iola and the Marmaton Market in Moran. Commissioners are working on potential grants to help Moons Market in Humboldt.
The county has helped area school districts buy security cameras and made improvements to the county fairgrounds.
Theyve helped plan ambulance barns in Humboldt and Moran, and plan to provide assistance to local fire departments. Theyve built new towers for emergency communications.
They recently bought a new rock crusher to provide gravel for county roads, saving costs in the long run.
Theyve provided support for projects like the Rural Regional Technical Center and a wind energy farm just beginning construction north of LaHarpe and Moran.
Its rare for a county to maintain a healthy capital outlay fund to pay for big expenses and equipment, while also reducing the tax rate, Daniels said. Its a delicate balance, trying to pay for projects while keeping taxes low but not too low in case something were to change in the future.
The Kansas treasurer reports for Allen County show sales tax receipts are up about 10 percent. Thats amazing. That tells you the growth in the county the last few years, Daniels said.
There is a lot going on. And I think the commissioners have been a big part of that, making good decisions and steering that funding. Id like to continue to do that and keep it going in the right direction.
DANIELS TERM as a county commissioner began with a lucky coin flip. In 2014, he ran against Jim Mueller for the First District seat. They tied. The race was settled by a coin toss, with Daniels the winner.
Hes diplomatic when discussing that election: We were both very good candidates. Obviously it was a tough decision for voters. After that I told people, Im going to keep it exciting so just stay tuned. It has been challenging and its been exciting.
This time around, if Daniels is re-elected hell be the most senior commissioner, with just one term. His fellow commissioners, John Brocker and Bill King, both were appointed in the past several months after resignations. Brocker lost a primary election for his Third District seat to Republican Bruce Symes, but has launched a write-in campaign.
