Salina City Commissioner Doug Rempp shared his assessment of Monday's City Commission meeting Tuesday, highlighting property taxes, water infrastructure, downtown funding, the appointment of Gary Norris and growing concerns over conduct during the public comment period.

Rempp, who has frequently raised concerns about city spending and transparency, outlined five issues he believed stood out from the meeting.

Property Taxes

Rempp pointed to the Commission's action related to the city's upcoming property-tax process and said he was the lone dissenting vote.

He said he believes the city should look more closely at reducing spending when projected revenues do not meet expenses.

"I have seen so much waste in spending that I feel the city needs to tighten its belt," Rempp wrote, comparing the situation to decisions households and businesses make when expenses exceed projected income.

Water Main Replacements

Rempp also addressed planned water-main replacement work and the city's decision to proceed with the low bidder.

He said commissioners discussed concerns about projects beginning with a low bid and later increasing through change orders. Rempp acknowledged that some change orders are legitimate while questioning how the city distinguishes unavoidable changes from those caused by mistakes.

He also emphasized that the four sections included in the current work represent only a small portion of Salina's larger water-main infrastructure needs.

Community Theatre and Downtown TIF Funding

Another issue Rempp highlighted was more than $400,000 associated with the Salina Community Theatre project.

Rempp noted that the funding would come from tax increment financing, or TIF, rather than the city's General Fund.

He described the theatre as part of Salina's "pull factor" for attracting people from surrounding communities and credited Salina 2020's leadership for downtown improvements.

At the same time, Rempp questioned the extent to which public financing is being used for projects beyond traditional municipal services and called for additional transparency regarding the original downtown development agreements.

"I want to see the original agreement," Rempp wrote.

Norris Appointment

Rempp also discussed the process used to select a replacement for former Commissioner Jerry Ivey.

More than 30 people submitted Expressions of Interest for the vacancy. Rempp said he personally narrowed the field to five candidates and spent between 30 and 60 minutes speaking with each.

He questioned whether every applicant received acknowledgment and described the Commission's selection procedure as potentially flawed.

The Commission ultimately appointed Gary Norris to the vacant seat. Rempp voted against Norris's appointment, while Mayor Mike Hoppock and Commissioners Trent Davis and Greg Lenkiewicz voted in favor.

Despite his vote, Rempp said Norris was "a good choice."

He said the appointment process reinforced the importance of regular City Commission elections, with the next city election scheduled for November 2027.

Rempp Calls for Civility During Citizens Forum

Rempp devoted the largest portion of his comments to Monday's Citizens Forum and continuing criticism surrounding Salina Animal Services.

Rempp said he understands the frustration among residents concerned about conditions at the shelter and said he remains supportive of groups advocating for improvements.

He also criticized city leadership for not responding to those concerns sooner.

"Leadership should have listened better all along," Rempp wrote.

However, Rempp said Monday's meeting crossed a line because of personal attacks, name-calling and public belittling.

"Regardless of who threw the 1st stone, let's be better," Rempp wrote.

He encouraged residents advocating for changes at the shelter to continue pursuing those concerns while changing the tone of some public comments.

Rempp also warned that continued problems during Citizens Forum could result in changes to how the Commission handles public comment, writing that the forum "is a privilege that could soon go away."

Rempp's comments represent his individual assessment of Monday's meeting and not an official position of the Salina City Commission.