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Commission may approve 2013 budget this week By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
Lawrence’s police force will grow a bit, and so will the city’s property tax rate, under a $174 million budget that is up for approval by city commissioners Tuesday. Commissioners at their weekly meeting will consider approving the city’s 2013 operating budget, which includes a plan to add three new police officers and additional funding for
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Today’s forecast, page 8A
INSIDE
Proposed plan includes tax increase of less than 1 mill police equipment. “I am disappointed we haven’t been able to accomplish more on the police front right now, but that is the reality of the current economy,” said City Commissioner Hugh Carter. Earlier in the budget session, leaders with the Lawrence Police Department presented more than $40 million worth of staff additions and facility improvements
that they proposed be funded over a multi-year period. Commissioners, though, have not yet pursued creating a multi-year funding plan for the department. Instead, commissioners focused on keeping the city’s property tax mill levy relatively stable. The 2013 budget proposes a mill levy increase of 0.92 of a mill. A mill is $1 in property tax-
es for every $1,000 in assessed valuation. A home with a market value of $200,000 would pay an extra $21.16 per year in property taxes under the proposed budget. The higher property tax rate is expected to generate about $769,000 in new tax revenue for the city. The budget proposes increases of: ! $300,000 for equipment
Sick and tired of the waiting game
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105-year-old may be oldest Kansan Edna Zillner turned 105 on Friday. The Pioneer Ridge resident will have a party today, but her cake won’t have candles — that would just be too many to blow out. Page 3A
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Once I get over there, I’m going to be like, ‘Man, it’s finally here. I finally get to play for Kansas.” — KU freshman basketball player Ben McLemore, looking forward to this week’s European tour exhibition opener and a chance to finally take the floor. Page 1B
INDEX Arts&Entertainment 1C-6C Books 3C Classified 1D-6D Deaths 2A Events listings 8A, 2B Garden 6C Horoscope 5D Movies 4A Opinion 7A Puzzles 4C, 5D Sports 1B-7B Television 4A, 2B, 5D Vol.154/No.218 50 pages
Before you vote, check facts acgarrison@ljworld.com
Spencer Museum full of hidden treasures
LAWRENCE
Please see CITY, page 2A
By Alex Garrison
Coupon value in today’s paper
On a typical day, roughly 1,300 art objects are on view in the Spencer Museum of Art galleries. Hidden away in storage are some 37,000 more. Page 1C
expenditures for the police department ! $275,000 to hire and equip three additional police officers ! $55,000 for increased materials for pavement markings for city streets ! $75,000 for a city-operated economic development incentives fund ! $20,000 to provide supplemental pay to city employees who are serving on active mili-
Nick Krug/Journal-World Photos
LAWRENCE RESIDENT PATTI ESSMAN, 58, moves through her living room on Thursday, picking up her belongings after a fall earlier in the day that knocked over a card table. Essman, who says she suffers from various debilitating ailments including arthritis and fibromyalgia, has been waiting for more than two years to receive assistance from the state. She says she is unable to stay on her feet for any length of time as a result of pain and fatigue associated with illnesses. When she goes outside, she generally uses a wheelchair.
People with disabilities want state to fund more assistance services By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
Patti Essman, who suffers from a host of health problems, says her life would be a lot better if she received some assistance from the state. “I’m a mess,” said Essman, who is 58 and lives in Lawrence. “I need to find a junk yard where I can find some parts where I can get overhauled.” Essman is among more than 8,500 Kansans who are on waiting lists under the Medicaid program for home and community-based services for people with physical and developmental disabilities. She has been waiting for more than two years. Essman, who lives alone, has difficulty walking and has suffered numerous falls. When she goes outside, she generally uses a wheelchair. She has heart problems, diabetes, fibromyalgia and other ailments. “I mostly need someone who can come in and do the things I can’t, like doing dishes, sweeping and mopping the floor,” she said. Advocates for people with disabilities are
ESSMAN SAYS SHE DOESN’T WANT TO GIVE UP what independence she has left by going into an assistedliving situation.
The federal government has entered the picture, investigating complaints that the state is violating the civil rights of people who are waiting for help. trying to get the Kansas Legislature and Gov. Sam Brownback to increase funding to serve more people and reduce the number waiting for help and the length of time they must wait. Tim Wood, manager of the End the Wait campaign in Kansas, said that since 1997, there have been few legislative sessions where the Legislature
has increased funding for the programs. “We’ve had some success, but there is a long way to go,” he said. During the last session, the Legislature and Brownback provided additional state funding for both the physical and developmentally disabled waiting lists. For people with physical disabilities, the program increased by about $2 million in state general funding. And the program for Kansans with developmental disabilities increased by about $3.4 million in state general funding, according to statistics provided by the Kansas Legislative Research Department. But the backlog is becoming “alarming” and
“overwhelming,” Wood said. Meanwhile, the federal government has entered the picture, investigating complaints that the state is violating the civil rights of people who are waiting for help. Advocates for people with physical disabilities have been filing Olmstead complaints, based on a U.S. Supreme Court decision that says states must provide services to people with disabilities to enable them to be more integrated in the community. Earlier this year, negotiations between the Brownback administration and officials with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services broke down. HHS then forwarded the waiting list complaints to the U.S. Justice Department, which “has made enforcement of Olmstead a top priority.” Meanwhile, Essman said she will continue waiting. “I try to stay as independent as I can. I’m not ready to give up. I’m still trying to manage,” she said. — Statehouse reporter Scott Rothschild can be reached at 785-423-0668.
In preparation for Tuesday’s primary election, Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew answered some questions that he said continue to cause confusion among voters, particularly concerning Kansas’ new voter ID law. Shew said his office was Shew receiving many calls from concerned voters, but he hoped that even voters with questions will come to the polls Tuesday. No one should leave the polls without having the opportunity to vote, he said, even if it means voting through a provisional ballot. Voters who cast provisional ballots will have an opportunity to provide additional ID or other information after the election to confirm their eligibility and make sure their votes are counted. Here are some common questions and Shew’s answers:
Q: A:
What kind of identification do I need to vote? A driver’s license or state-issued ID card will work, as will a U.S. passport, government employee badge (issued by a Kansas government entity), student ID card or Kansas concealed carry license. Does the address on my ID need to match my address in the poll book? No. Election officials will accept identification cards from across the country. You do not need proof of address to vote, as long as you are registered. Does my full name need to exactly match that on my ID? No. “It’s commonly accepted that ‘Jim’ and ‘James’ will be the same person,” Shew said. But surnames do need to match. If your ID does not match your last name in the register or vice versa, you can cast a provisional ballot and then provide matching identification to clear up the name confusion. If I cast a provisional ballot, will my vote be counted? Yes. Voters who cast provisional ballots have seven business days to present a Please see VOTE, page 2A