Q&A: Hutchinson City Manager Enrico Villegas
Before you vote on March 3, I hope you’ll take time to listen to this in-depth discussion
Not long ago, Hutchinson’s city manager responded to a comment with a question that stuck with me:
Do you believe Hutch has peaked?
Is this as good as it’s ever going to get?
Or is there a brighter future worth investing in?
That question sparked one of the most widely read essays here.
Now, ahead of the March 3 sales tax vote, he’s joining me on the podcast for a real conversation about what this moment means for Hutchinson.
Not just the tax.
Not just the politics.
But the history, and the trajectory.
If you care about where our community is headed, I think you’ll want to hear it.
We talked about delaying projects year after year, and how that can end up costing us more over the long run.
We talked about that trip to Japan that prompted a number of questions at the public meeting I attended. It cost the city $10,040 to send the city manager and two council members on a business recruitment/potential business expansion trip (Takako has a manufacturing facility in Hutchinson) - as well as efforts to establish a sister city relationship that could potentially lead to increased tourism.
We talked about the issues with current restrictions on the current stormwater fee, and how much additional spending it would take to equal the amount we’ll all save from the elimination of that fee. AND - you’ll hear the city on record for everyone to hear that the fee will end shortly after the sales tax begins.
We talked about how federal and state policies create unfunded mandates for local governments - who are forced to comply with those laws while having limited ability to pay for the demands created by high levels of government.
We talked about the current need to upgrade our wastewater treatment plant, and how not doing so has and still could cost us more money over time.
We talked about the vision for our community’s future, and the strengths we can leverage to make that vision a reality.
I expected that Enrico and I would record for about an hour, but we talked for close to 90 minutes. I hope you’ll listen to this episode, and really hear what is behind the decision to ask to support the sales tax increase. And if you find our conversation useful and helpful, I hope you’ll share it with others.
I also hope you’ll listen with a mind toward possibly, toward growth, and not default to the scarcity, fearful mindset that I feel has plagued our community, and much of rural Kansas, for far too long.
