Staff writer
Gary Diepenbrock, of Lincolnville, asked Marion County Commission Monday what he needed to do to convince commissioners to fire Appraiser Cindy Magill.
The matter wasn’t about property taxes, Diepenbrock said. He felt Magill had a bad attitude and was not helpful in the course of his interactions with the appraiser’s office.
He asked the number of signatures needed on a petition for commissioners to consider replacing Magill. There is no statutory requirement, but the commission would consider any meaningful petition, Commission Chairman Dan Holub said.
Diepenbrock decided to speak with the commission after seeking advice from the appraiser’s office about how much he could do to cover a trench silo without his property being reclassified in a higher tax bracket. He said Magill didn’t help him and had a bad attitude about it.
Diepenbrock was vague about what he wanted to do, Magill told the Marion County Record. She said she couldn’t give him a decision without specifics.
She would like to sit down with Diepenbrock to resolve the issue.
“I don’t think it’s something that can’t be resolved,” Magill said.
She will meet with commissioners Monday to discuss the issue.
In other business:
- The 2010 budget includes a 0.728 mill increase in property taxes. Accountant Scot Loyd of Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk & Loyd of McPherson said the county did better than others in preventing a large tax increase.
- Commissioners met in closed session for 45 minutes to discuss personnel. When they returned to open session, they scheduled a special meeting for 10 a.m. today to discuss personnel.
- Department for Elderly will present three classes of “Medicare 101” for people considering retiring, director Gayla Ratzlaff said. The first class will be in September in Hillsboro.
- Commissioners decided to sand 330th Road in front of houses near Tampa to reduce airborne dust, reversing a decision from a week earlier. Holub voted against the decision and said too many people elsewhere in the county were forced to buy their own sand.
- Centre and Goessel schools requested the county recycling trailer visit once per month on a weekday. Commissioners wanted time to consider the request.
- Terry Camp of Menno Township said Diamond Road between 170th and 180th roads had not been graded since July 15. He felt Road and Bridge Department was intentionally neglecting the road his home is by.
- Marion Boy Scout Troop 102 was interested in using an old shop building at Marion County Park and Lake for storage and possibly meetings, troop committee members Caroline Kelly and Gary Klose said. Commissioners thought renovating the building for use would be too expensive.
- Tony Epp, of Goessel, said he was concerned meetings of Marion County Law Enforcement and Public Safety Center Committee have not been adequately publicized before the meetings.
- Markley Service of Marion will sell 20 gallons of Pathway herbicide, 10 gallons of Crossbow, and 45 gallons of Outpost to Noxious Weed Department for $3,568. Ag Service of Hillsboro bid $3,988.
Commission met at 10 a.m. today to discuss personnel matters. The next commission meeting will be Monday.