Remarks by Pete Meitzner
21 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 1
- Play at 40:33
“What we got is a microphone. Okay. So thanks for the presentation. I really want to thank, as well, Lindsay in finance and HR and Scott over in IT and communications with... with Nicole's group to help a week later here get to where we're at and with your cooperation as well, Brandy. So I think it's important to remind everybody that The county treasurer and the county tag office is a function of the state. It's a state function. One of those 16 departments that we as the government are required by the state to do. And also remind that... Brandy Bailey is the county treasurer. All county…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 23, 2026
- Play at 42:01
“So we had to subsidize your county property tax to the tune of about, if I remember, three years ago it was maybe $200,000-ish.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 23, 2026
- Play at 42:17
“Yes, it was 200,000. And we didn't panic then. And then it was 500 or 600. Then we kind of panicked. And then we knew it was going to be 900. And that's when we said, enough's enough. And thanks to Brandy and the state treasurers and all of our efforts, we went to the state to say, what can we do to do this? And that's why just recently the $5 allowance fee was approved, that the state allowed you as a treasurer to put a $5 fee on these transactions. And that helped wipe out the property tax liability. So here we are now with the ability to help fix what we've seen. The public has experienced…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 23, 2026
- Play at 48:56
“I think that gets us, 775 gets us today what you think today you need, and it is only for one year. So we will be back next year, and it will really be a healthy review, including I think we have required audit documents you have to provide to the state and to us.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 23, 2026
- Play at 49:28
“Okay, at the end of three. So you have to show the next 27, 28, 29. So we'd be able to review this next year. Be nice if it was kind of within our own budget season, but it's not required by the state. It is a little different. we can handle it just like we're handling it now, I think.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 23, 2026
- Play at 49:59
“Yeah, that's a good idea, Brandi. Maybe on a quarterly basis, you just come in and give us an update report because everybody's going to be wondering. And obviously the, the emails or the complaint lines, if they disappear, then we will know that it's working without even knowing what the details are. But if we have, you know, an occasional complaint is not a bother, but if we have a little bit of a surge of comments, then we'll be able to review that. So I... Yes, so Mr. Chairman, whatever I think, if you go to the option two and substitute in 775 as a motion, I think I'll be supportive.…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 23, 2026
- Play at 55:37
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 23, 2026
- Play at 37:58
“I feel like Ed McMahon, you're the Johnny Carson. Out of respect for the chair and the vice chair to wrap this up as well. But Brent, your early resume that was read off by Sheena was just remarkable about what you've done here. And that's just an example of your broad reach in our county government for years, way before I was here and currently. But it's been, and most recently as the chair referenced, Filling in the county appraiser job interim was kind of an introductory to us to learn more about the appraiser office and maybe the first couple of big steps you helped implement on. We talk…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 16, 2026
- Play at 2:14:06
“Thank you. Commissioner Meister. Thank you, and good questions. I just commented myself and Commissioner Blubaugh formerly served on the city council, which was over the airport authority, and there was numerous cases where hangers and land were subleased or exchanged or sold and all that stuff. So that does all fall under the Wichita airport authority's guidance with city council approval or rejection. So in this being non-binding and an intent and understanding that there are steps that have to happen, I appreciate especially Commissioner Wise brings her commercial experience in commercial…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 16, 2026
- Play at 3:18:29
“Commissioner Meister. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Brandi, for this. I've got a couple of questions. questions that I think if we could get clarity then I'll be way more comfortable approving some level of a fee increase and basically this this is kind of a big decision from my perspective and I first had a set of numbers from you at like two o'clock Monday We had a discussion. It was all brand-new information, a queue list, replacement, 10 people. Everything was new. And it was your numbers. Subsequently, yesterday afternoon... We received a corrected email from you with corrected…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 16, 2026
- Play at 3:20:38
“$480,000 is the number that you basically need a $1 fee increase.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 16, 2026
- Play at 3:21:16
“Okay. Well, I haven't, my comfort zone is not good because when we've solved other department, when we've added as a team, we had HR, we had a lot of information from HR saying this is the plan that we think will help recover and perform. We haven't had a meeting with HR and had HR weigh in on any of this. Of course, it all started on Monday afternoon and got updated yesterday afternoon. So I haven't had a meeting with finance to say this is good, HR to say this is good. You've talked about somehow an IT solution with your Q list. We haven't had IT get with us to say this is a good solution.…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 16, 2026
- Play at 3:23:07
“I feel like July 1st, you effectively put in the $5 fee helped right away. You're getting great revenue to help solve some problems.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 16, 2026
- Play at 3:23:34
“Well, I appreciate your explanation. I think July 1st, we could have watched everything through July, even August, and we could have had a better evaluation from all the departments required. any time between then and Monday afternoon two days ago for a rush decision. So I'll wait and hear what the comfort zone is with my fellow commissioners. But you know where I sit right now. And if we need a week to pause to get affirmation one way or another, then that would make my comfort zone be a lot better. Thank you. Commissioner Wise.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 16, 2026
- Play at 3:42:36
“Just listening to everything, I know we're under a lot of pressure. If we do have a meeting next week, I would like to delay it until next week. I'd like to see, is it possible to have a staff meeting and we get buyout or get an agreement? Commissioner House pointed out great stuff. I mean, $5 times 500,000 transactions is already $2.5 million into the system. But for me, and the other commissioners might have even more, but I would like to make sure that, because even Sheena was up here explaining, HR director was explaining, but... I wrote it down. It's one of your last sentences. It said…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 16, 2026
- Play at 3:45:31
“I'll make a motion to defer this item until the 23rd.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 16, 2026
- Play at 3:58:04
“Thank you very much Yeah, thank you in that thank you for the presentation and sitting through this to get to get to this but Part of this funding conversation we've had also was eye-opening to us is that You guys are working on outcomes based on recidivism, and recidivism really isn't even much part of the calculation.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 16, 2026
- Play at 3:58:59
“Yeah. I would think recidivism is in line with outcomes.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 16, 2026
- Play at 3:59:12
“Yeah, good. Well, I think, unless I missed it, you have 1,500... clients, so to speak.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 16, 2026
- Play at 3:59:23
“1,300. So Sheriff Easter's jail population is about, any given day, 1,200-ish. And any one of these 1,300 could be... and should be in a way in the county jail, but the judges in our efforts locally is to give them a chance to get help, keep their job, maybe keep their family and their spouses and everything else. So I think the citizens need to understand that there's another 1,300 people that have committed a crime and have been convicted, and the judge chose to send them to you for help versus sending them to prison. And, of course, the elephant in the room is of those 1,300, how many are…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 16, 2026
- Play at 4:00:19
“So we've got 300 people from outside Sedgwick County that are in our streets and under your programs to work and get better. So once again, the Wichita area or Sedgwick County, we're taking a large... responsibility for actions throughout the state. And we accept that responsibility, and that's why things like funding and performance and everything else, we need to speak loudly and strongly on that. And so probably a similar percentage will get to hear the juvenile report shortly. Thanks for helping educate us on what you all do and your staff and the outcomes. I think they're helping turn…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 16, 2026