OP-ED: Salina Is Not a City in Crisis
By City Commissioner Gary Norris
My Fellow Citizens of Salina,
As the newest City Commissioner in Salina, I would like to take a few minutes to share my background and my priorities for our community. I am sorry for the length of this, however there is a large amount of information you should know, so please bear with me.
For those who do not know me—or those who may have already formed an opinion based on my age (75), my address, my career in educational leadership, my faith, my service in Rotary, my second career as a realtor, my role as co-founder of ReUseIt Salina, my love for remodeling homes, my wife of 53 years (Julie), our two children who graduated from Salina schools and Kansas State, our two dogs, or my 2014 Toyota 4Runner—let me set the record straight.
Breaking Down the "Good Ole Boys" Narrative
I am not now, nor will I ever be, part of any "good ole boys" network. Let me be specific about my professional and community relationships:
• Dr. Davis: I have met Dr. Davis a few times in a professional setting and as a valued volunteer on this commission.
• Mr. Lenkiwitz: I have crossed paths with Mr. Lenkiwitz two or three times regarding zoning matters and starting up ReUseIt Salina. I also hold deep respect for his father, who was a great teacher at Roosevelt-Lincoln.
• Commissioner Remp: We have had numerous positive interactions over the years, stemming from his business supporting schools and my role as superintendent of USD 305.
• Mr. Hoppick: I have known Mr. Hoppick for at least 22 years (non-consecutively), not as a personal friend, but through service organizations and shared loyalty as K-State fans. Furthermore, his title company handled transactions over my 12 years as a realtor. Guess what? We only have two title companies in town, and I’ve tried to spend equal amounts of time working with both offices.
Mr. Hoppick called me several weeks ago—prior to any inquiries and anticipating controversy—to inform me that his office would no longer handle any of my transactions for the remaining 15 months of my term. While that decision was not required by law, he chose to do it anyway.
To the "good ole boys" point: While I genuinely value my colleagues' opinions, I value our citizens' opinions more. I will always cast my vote based solely on what I believe is in the best interest of this community.
I have been in numerous situations involving board dissent; in fact, it was typical on many of my school boards. It is okay if people vote the other way. Mutual respect is critical—but it does take three votes to get anything done. I am ready and willing to extend my hand of partnership to any commissioner to move our city forward, do great things, and correct matters that require attention.
Governance, Communication, and Public Decorum
I do not shy away from controversy; unfortunately, that is simply the reality of public service. However, controversial issues are best solved through open, honest communication—not bullying. I do not respond well to bullying or demeaning language directed at myself, city staff, or fellow commissioners.
I promise to listen to citizens with an open mind, but I do not need to hear the exact same story ten times, nor do I need to hear opinions expressed sarcastically. If you have followed complaint procedures through regular channels and feel you were not heard or respected, you can email or call me. I will do my best to understand and ask staff to review the matter once more. I cannot fix anything as a single member; a commissioner's job is to set governing rules, not to micromanage staff hired to implement and enforce them.
At the conclusion of my first meeting, I shared these reflections:
"In my 32 years as a school superintendent, I participated in over 1,100 public meetings. A few of them were tough, and I vividly remember those. However, nothing I have ever witnessed came close to the August 24 meeting right here in this room. I listened to every single comment on television, and the behavior of a few individuals was simply unacceptable and undemocratic.
I am only one commissioner, but may I remind everyone that the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA) allows wide discretion on how, when, where, and if we hold open public mic sessions. You have a legal right to watch us conduct meetings and to participate in certain public hearings, but I know of no absolute right to an open public forum. All 1,100 of my school district meetings went off without character assassination, extreme rude behavior, or a refusal to yield the podium. There is no right in Kansas law to ignore decorum and reasonable standards of participation.
Mr. Mayor, I would like the commission to direct city staff and our attorney to review other cities' participation rules and propose amendments to our own. While I welcome public forums and hearing from you, please do not abuse civil discourse and our rules. We may want to temporarily suspend public comments until a new, agreed-upon format is established, OR we may want to take a moment to review our current rules of participation, which are not being followed at all."
Decisions Driven by Data and Fiscal Responsibility
Our only hope for making sound decisions and staying on the right track is to rely on data, not hearsay or emotion.
For example:
• Taxation: If someone alleges our mill levy is too high, I search for comparisons with similar Kansas cities. While comparisons are complex, they provide a useful benchmark.
• Water Quality: If someone claims our water is bad, I say let’s sample it, test it, and fix it. If they say we have system-wide water failure, I look to systems in other similar sized Kansas for guidance.
• Budget Cuts: I have personally cut millions of dollars from school district budgets, implemented massive efficiencies, and attended hundreds of public hearings on taxation. From 1994 through 2004, USD 305 maintained some of the lowest administrative and district overhead expenditures in Kansas per capita. We intentionally funneled as much funding as possible directly to our teachers and support staff. As a commissioner, I will review city budgets and spending with that same careful eye. If I find waste, fraud, or abuse, I will bring it to the administration and commission. What I won’t do is vote to reduce our budget on unfounded claims or personalities.
The Reality of Salina's Water System
No one deserves discolored or unhealthy water, and our job is to ensure that does not happen. However, I want to address the narrative surrounding Salina’s water system.
Because I could not personally reconcile claims of a "failing" water system, ineffective staff, and total neglect, I independently called ten other Kansas cities—five larger and five smaller than Salina. My working hypothesis was that Salina’s replacement process for aging pipes, percentage of PVC already in the ground, and replacement speed would align closely with similar municipalities.
What did the data show? My working hypothesis was correct! Most of those 10 cities have replaced between 20% and 30% of their main distribution lines with PVC (Salina is at 24%) and replace around 1% per year—a pace Salina already matches and is looking to accelerate. While our system is aging, the data simply does not support the system-wide failure narrative. I have lived in Salina for 22 years and do not remember a single conversation about system-wide bad water prior to April 2026.
Salina is required by KDHE to submit numerous water samples annually, and our results consistently fall well within safe, acceptable levels. Furthermore, all Kansas water features Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), typically ranging from 300 to 800, with readings increasing as you move West due to underground soil minerals. We must repair specific neighborhood areas experiencing discoloration, and we just accepted bids on August 24 to do just that. In the meantime, recent KDHE indoor samples at ground zero show clear, safe water.
Animal Shelter and Civic Transparency
The entire animal shelter situation is very unfortunate. Poor decisions made over several years by various individuals led to difficult circumstances. All animals deserve humane treatment.
There is good news: the city has issued an RFP to privatize shelter operations, and our single proposal is currently under review. Management is also having the facility thoroughly cleaned and sanitized so we can start fresh. It is the commission’s job to provide direction, oversight, and fiscal support, while our management team carries it out.
At a recent meeting, I also addressed the need for improved communication:
"In the past four to six months, there have been constant calls for more transparency and open communication. I tend to agree. Without an effective communications plan, it is very difficult to know what is going on. There is a different side to Salina City Government than what we have been reading about—an entire structure of competent departments that citizens must know about to regain confidence. Without a robust Salina Journal with local reporters, our information flow leaves much to be desired.
I propose immediate administrative structural changes to transform our current Media Department into a Public Information Department where people can read daily updates about important city issues and email staff for prompt answers. Mr. Wood, am I correct that you currently have some vacant positions, with the authority to reorganize into a PIO (Public Information Officer) office?"
Mr. Mayor, assuming all of us believe effective, responsive communication is paramount for Salina, may we direct to City Manager to head in this direction as soon as possible?”
Looking Forward
In summary, Salina is not a city in crisis. I do not see a system-wide water failure, a budget emergency requiring reckless cuts, or a management team that needs immediate termination. Mistakes have been made, but there is no wholesale mismanagement.
The commission and the city government can always do better, and that is what I will work toward: taking good systems and making them better, supporting good people to help them grow, and helping our already great community become the absolute best it can be.
