Nagel’s out-of-state trips are costly, unnecessary

To the Editor:
At the Dec. 1 Truth in Taxation meeting, a full house of McLeod County taxpayers appealed to the county commissioners not to raise the tax levy for 2016. Residents explained how they are already struggling with increasing school levies and declining farm or wage incomes.
Shockingly, at the very next commissioner meeting on Dec. 15, not only was the 2016 levy increased but approval was also given for first-year commissioner Joe Nagel to repeat his 2015 travel vacations to the National Association of Counties meetings in Washington, D.C., in February, and another week-long trip to Long Beach, California, next summer.
There are two reasons why this travel is not needed.
First, this travel spending is totally discretionary and provides little to no benefit to McLeod County. This wasteful spending is a disgrace to McLeod’s taxpayers, who are wrestling just to make ends meet. Commissioner Nagel already visited Washington, D.C., and Long Beach in 2015. Before Mr. Nagel was elected, McLeod County got by fine without having to send a commissioner to these out-of-state meetings.
Second, Commissioner Nagel needs to be spending his time within McLeod County — not traveling all over the country. Regrettably, Mr. Nagel is acquiring a reputation of not spending the time he should with representing his townships. For example, during his first 90 days in office starting in January 2015, he had time to go to Washington, D.C., and Mexico for a week each, yet missed attending both Hutchinson Township and Acoma Township annual meetings last March. The township annual meetings are the most important meetings of the year, where residents provide direct input to their elected officials. Commissioner Nagel also missed both the semi-annual meetings of McLeod County Township Association in January and September of 2015. In addition, I understand that Commissioner Nagel’s participation in the public health and county bike trail committees have also not been regularly attended.
Concerned taxpayers should appeal to County Commissioner Chair Paul Wright and Vice Chair Sheldon Nies to rescind approval for these inappropriate travel expenses and encourage first-year Commissioner Nagel to devote the time owed to the townships and his existing obligations. It is a travesty for our increased levy to be paying for unnecessary travel like this. We need all commissioners on-deck here in McLeod County in 2016 to perform their duties of office.
James Bobier
Hutchinson