Business View Magazine | August 2020

237 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020 get themselves out of it. As my daughter says, ‘You can cry me a river, or you can build a bridge and get over it.’ And that’s what this community has done. They sucked it up and just moved forward. It’s paying off now. We still have that debt out there, but we’re paying if off every year.” In 2009, the citizens passed a one-penny sales tax (just renewed through 2030), which helped, and helps, to pay down the debt. It also put any new infrastructure projects on hold and didn’t spend on items whose maintenance could be deferred. “The City has gone through a period of years where infrastructure – water, wastewater lines, streets – had been left alone,” says Dinkel. “In trying to be conservative, they hadn’t been touched at all - all to get the debt down. And instead of $125 million, by the end of this year, the general obligation debt will be down to about $69 million. It’s still way too high, but it’s a major progression from where we were.” Now, according to Dinkel, while continuing to focus on paying its creditors, the City is also looking to grow– perhaps not as quickly as it had once hoped Innovative Healthcare Plans for Your Business Let the experienced and dedicated staff at Freedom Claims Management, Inc. customize an Employee Benefit plan that fits your business’ needs. Regardless if you are a large corporation or a small business on Main Street, we can help you provide your employees with a great Benefit Package at an affordable cost. Let us take care of everything for you, from start to finish with continued support. We have you covered. Call 866-792-9151 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation today. JUNCT ION C I TY , KANSAS Heart of the Flint Hills