Zwonitzer seeks re-election to county commission

Incumbent Republican Janet Zwonitzer, 61, Holton, is seeking re-election to the Second District Jackson County Commission seat.

Zwonitzer is running against Ed Lutz during the Nov. 8 general election. Lutz is not affiliated with a political party.

Zwonitzer was first elected to the county commission in November 2012. County commissioners serve four-year terms.

Zwonitzer has lived in Jackson County for 24 years. She graduated from Wetmore High School, and she also has a Kansas Association of Counties Excellence in Leadership accreditation.

She owned Lee’s Flower and Gift Shop for 13 years and Zwonitzer Propane for 12 years. She previously worked at The Holton Recorder for a year and a half and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association for five years.

She has five children and three grandchildren.

Why are you seeking election?

“I love serving Jackson County,” Zwonitzer said. “There have been many positive changes and accomplishments in the past nearly four years, but there are also many issues and projects to both resolve and pursue. It is an honor to serve the citizens of the county, and I would like to continue to do so.”

Do you think the county’s current tax rate is justified and adequate to operate the county’s departments?

“I think that the county’s current tax rate is necessary to both continue the services our citizens need and expect while continuing to fund state and federal mandates,” she said. “The mill levy for the upcoming year is comprised of one mill for rock, half a mill for the road and bridge large equipment replacement fund, approximately one mill for the county attorney office to fill a request for an additional attorney and one office staff position.

“There are small amounts allotted to the register of deeds, multi-county health, the clerk of the district court, the treasurer, the conservation district and Northeast County Environmental Service. The remainder of the tax increase is to cover mandated, contracted medical insurance.

“The county attorney’s office is handling hundreds of cases each year, which are comprised of all adult arrests, juvenile cases and child in need of care cases filed in the county. In 2015, Jackson County had 661 adult arrests compared to Atchison (205), Brown (196), Jefferson (208), Pottawatomie (529), Nemaha (132) and Shawnee (367).

“The state has mandated that every case must be e-filed into the state system, a process that takes approximately an hour per case to complete, according to county attorney clerks. Current staffing in the office is not adequate to handle the amount of caseloads. 

“Funding for adequate amounts of road rock has been a constant battle since the close of the rock quarry in the county. While the county did, in some cases, truck in rock from other quarries depending on the size or rock needed, the county relied heavily on the local quarry. That closure caused the county to contract much of our rock hauling, as the county’s truck fleet cannot haul rock in the quantities needed from quarries quickly enough to keep large amounts on hand.

“The county trucks continue to haul as much as possible in conjunction with the contracted hauling. Since the local quarry closed, we have stockpiled rock at the Hoyt strip and at the road and bridge site at Holton so that the county’s trucks can haul to roads and work sites from the stockpiles, which increases efficiency.

“In the past, for the most part, our trucks went directly to the local quarry for the rock and then straight to our roads and work sites.  This has caused the county to fund hauling costs that it hasn’t had to in the past.

“Road and bridge has an aging fleet of dump trucks and other equipment. At some point, replacements must be addressed. In preparation for replacement needs, a half a mill was added to that budget line item. 

“The ability to purchase the building and seven acres for the road and bridge department was an opportunity that, in reality, could not be passed up.  The county commission had been discussing the need for a new shop for at least the last three years and had researched building new but realized that would likely be impossible without going into debt to do so. That was not something that we were willing to do.  

“The county is now able to provide a shop that can accommodate the large equipment that had outgrown the old shop built in the 1920s. At the old shop, there was one bay for oil changes and regular maintenance. The other bay was used to tear down and repair equipment that would fit into the space. If the equipment did not fit into the shop, it was worked on outside in the yard area or out in the street.

“Now, we can tear down three to four pieces of equipment in different phases of repair and still have room for regular maintenance.   The only time equipment goes to another location for work is when it is under warranty or when it has to go on the computer sensor diagnostic system. Most repairs are completed in house.

“The shop now has a lift, which the old one did not have, and the shop will have a tire room with plans to have it serve double duty as a wash bay.   All of the parts are now accounted for, inventoried on the computer system and organized in the parts room.

“We took advantage of an opportunity to purchase this building and fill the need for a larger, improved road and bridge shop that accommodates all of our equipment, without going into debt, nor did it affect the mill levy.

“Not only will the purchase of this building serve as the shop, but it will unify the road and bridge department. This building will now house the office of the director, office staff, foremen and shop. It will unify and streamline the department, making it more efficient, enabling better communication within the department and supplying space for training, staff and safety meetings.

“I am aware that the change may have been difficult at first for some employees, but this is going to be extremely beneficial. 

“The old shop served the county well for many decades and will continue to do so as a secured impound lot for the sheriff’s office, as well as provide that department a shop to maintain and do repairs on their fleet of vehicles, saving the county money.” 

 What concerns do you have regarding the county budget?

“I join fellow county and city commissioners across the state in our concern about the property tax lid. The rather very complicated formula allows us to use full valuation on new improvement construction only,” she said. “The remainder of the valuation (the difference between current year and year prior) is multiplied by the consumer price index (specifically the urban rate of inflation CPI-U, which has no relevance to the rate of inflation regarding government) and that amount, once added to the new improvement construction total, is the “lid” that counties may levy.

“Our county clerk, along with other clerks statewide, have run these calculations, and they all show that mill levies will drop, in our case at least one mill per year if the rate of valuation increases at the same rate it has been. There are still questions regarding how the election process will work within the amount of time needed to set budgets.

“The tax lid issue is truly a story of its own. The state takes 1.5 mill of every county’s valuation and the state did not include itself under the same CPI property tax lid that they imposed on local governments. 

“The county has a conservative budget. We budget for needs, obligations, mandates and contingencies. We have no industry, very little oil production and we were not on the oil pipeline route like some of our neighboring counties.

“It takes money and incentives to attract industry. Unfortunately, Jackson County does not have the financial ability right now to give incentives, nor the extra money to employee an economic development director.

“The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation is comprised of 121 square miles in Jackson County. There are 335 properties on 28,985 acres, with a market value of $183,447,140, on the reservation that is in trust. There are also 19 properties on 1,384 acres, with a market value of $4,240,810, that has been placed in trust by the federal government to be placed into trust outside the reservation boundaries.

“That is 47.45 square miles of tangible property in this county that is off the tax rolls.  In comparison, the Kickapoo Nation Reservation in Brown County is only 30 square miles in total. The Jackson County Commission has a great working relationship with the Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribal Council. 

“Through the years, the tribe has assumed maintenance of parts of the road system on the reservation, which does help offset some of the county’s lost property tax revenue in that 121 square miles.

  “However, all county services are available to the members of the tribe, as they are also citizens and a part of the county. Costs related to all those services have increased and continue to do so.

“The county’s road system and mill levy can only be compared to Jefferson County in our immediate area. We both operate under the county unit system, with no additional township mill levies for roads.

“Nemaha, Brown, Doniphan and Atchison counties all have township tax levies for township roads.  Townships levy taxes separately from the county mill levy for roads.  Pottawatomie County is one of three counties in the state that has a county rural system, which means they maintain all roads, however, they deduct expenses from township funds, which are also levied separately from the county mill levy.

“The reason that is important?  Township levies for county roads are not included in these other counties’ mill levies so it is not an accurate comparison. Our mill levy accounts for all roads we maintain in the county.  Townships also do not levy taxes from cities. Township tax levies were also excluded from the property tax lid.

“Bridges, culverts and FAS routes and main traveled roads are still each county’s responsibility under the township system.” 

The following is a 2015 summary of county taxes levied in northeast Kansas (source: www.ksrevenue.org):

* Jackson County: $7,678,330.49.

* Jefferson County: $11,322,018.

* Nemaha County: $7,035,555.19 + $1,361,114.61 township levy = $8,396,669.

* Brown County: $5,525,971.53 + $1,495,566.06 township levy = $7,021,537.59.

* Pottawatomie County: $13,615,344.74 + $250,616.92 township levy = $13,865,961.66.

* Doniphan County: $5,430,243.91 + $823,788.22 township levy = $6,254,032.13.

* Atchison County: $8,116,183.36 + $996,169.30 township levy = $9,112,352.66.

“During the budget process, agriculture land valuation has been a topic brought up by the public. Jackson County does not set the appraised value on farmland,” Zwonitzer said. “The state sets all agricultural land valuations. The rise in valuation needs to be addressed at the state level of government.”

What would you do if elected?

“I have researched township road systems, and I am unsure there is truly a benefit to changing from the county road unit system to township,” she said. “This is an issue that the board of county commissioners will need to research as a governing body.

“We do need citizens in our townships to run for township board positions in case we do find the township system is better for the county.

“I would continue to explore how our county can effectively attract business, manufacturing and industry. We have a very small budget set aside for economic development. In reality, economic development will likely not be funded at any higher rate than it is right now. 

“Jackson County has much to offer, we must find a way to successfully market our assets, develop a way for those interested in locating to our county to communicate their interest and a plan for addressing those inquiries.  

“Necessary changes and modernization have already begun in the road and bridge department, and I would look forward to continuing to help direct those changes through to completion.

“We need to develop a new comprehensive road improvement plan with the road and bridge director. 

“I think that the counties in northeast Kansas need to get serious about a plan to jointly purchase commodities and supplies commonly used in order to take advantage of quantity purchasing discounts. 

“I will continue to strive to keep Jackson County debt free.”

Why do you believe you are qualified for this position?

“I have served in this position and learned a great deal about county government in the past four years. My family operated two small businesses for many years here in the county, and I am a property owner,” she said. “I take the budget preparation extremely serious and approach it conservatively.  The experience and education that I have received since becoming a county commissioner has been invaluable.

“I have applied my business background where applicable, but county government does not always lend itself to private business practices. I am comfortable working with our county’s elected officials and other governing bodies such as city and state officials.

“I have made many connections throughout the years, continued to have a good working relationship with the city of Holton and have valuable history with many past projects and organizations, all of which has often been beneficial to the county.

“I like a challenge, and I am good at problem solving. I stay current on issues with continuing education and enjoy working with my constituents and serving the citizens of the county.”

Zwonitzer is currently active with Evangel United Methodist Church of Holton, Dogwood Park Committee chairperson, EUM Serving Team, EUM Jail Ministry, Banner Creek Science Center Executive Board and Board of Directors, EUM Staff-Parish Relations Committee, Jackson County LEPC Board, Jackson County Emergency Management Disaster Response Team, co-coordinator of Great Plains UMC Topeka Conference Emergency Disaster Response Team, Northeast Kansas Environmental Services Board, Violent Victim Advocate volunteer, Holton Hospital Auxiliary and Jackson County Farm Bureau.

She previously served on the Holton City Commission for 18 years (including nine years as mayor), Holton Community Hospital Board of Directors, Public Wholesale Water District #18 Board of Directors, Holton Fire Department Auxiliary, Jackson County NEK-CAP Board of Directors, Jackson County Food Pantry Board and Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce.