Editorial: Taxes go up for better services

Johnson County Commission Chairman Ed Eilert provided the key vote last year to boost property taxes for good causes.

After years of putting off needed improvements, the commission decided it was finally time to increase the tax levy to support better parks, libraries and public transit.

Last week, Eilert in his state of the county speech provided an encouraging update on all three issues.

Given Eilert’s longtime reputation as a fiscal conservative, he has the credibility to provide clear information to Johnson Countians on the use of these tax revenues.

And as the chairman correctly pointed out, the county has lots of professionals as well as citizens working to make sure the money goes for good causes.

▪ The Johnson County Park and Recreation District is finishing a master plan that ultimately will call for developing three little-used parks: Big Bull Creek, Cedar Niles and Rieke Lake.

The streamway trails system will include more pedestrian and bicycle trails, and more funds will be spent on “long-delayed maintenance,” Eilert said.

▪ When it comes to the county’s popular library system, officials are moving forward with relocation of the Lackman branch to a new site in Lenexa City Center.

The library’s master plan also calls for replacing the Corinth branch and building the Monticello Library. All of these are valuable resources for residents.

▪ The Johnson County bus system, now operated in a partnership with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, will provide routes that try to better connect workers to jobs in the county and throughout the area.

Public transit is going to become more important in the county as the population ages and more people depend on buses to get them from one point to another.

Eilert should continue to make sure he and other county officials provide informative updates on important upgrades to the library, parks and transit systems.

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 10:50 PM with the headline "Editorial: Taxes go up for better services."