Valley Center faces backlash surrounding frustrated family’s funeral preparations

VALLEY CENTER, Kan. (KWCH) - The City of Valley Center received backlash this week with a controversy surrounding a family’s frustrations with City Hall as they tried to bury a loved one who considered the town his home community for decades.

Despite Emmit Hipps’ connections with the city, the family had to pay extra to have him buried in the city cemetery.

This comes down to a city ordinance. Valley Center residents pay a certain price to be buried in the city cemetery on the north end of town but if you don’t live in the city, that cost is significantly higher. This is where the controversy comes in for the Hipps family.

Emmit Hipps died last Wednesday. Preparations to honor his life soon became stressful for the grieving family.

In 2012, Emmit’s son, Steven Hipps and Steven’s wife, Nikki, bought four plots in the Valley Center Cemetery for their parents. The Hipps’ live in Valley Center and at the time, the plots were in their names, so they paid $200 per plot to have Nikki’s parents and Steven’s mom buried. But after Emmit died, they got a call from the city.

“Saying that uh, since dad was not a resident inside the city limits that they were gonna charge another $800 for the plot,” Steven said.

Valley Center’s city ordinance states that people living outside the city limits must pay $1,000 to be buried in the cemetery. So, since Emmit didn’t live in the city limits, his son and daughter-in-law had to pay the difference.

“I mean, I understand the surprise but I don’t understand exactly how we as the city can go about getting the system changed,” said Valley Center Mayor Jet Truman.

Truman said he feels for Emmit Hipps’ family but the city’s options are limited by the rules that are in place.

More than the ordinance itself, the Hipps’ said they were unhappy about how the situation was handled as they weren’t allowed to bury Emmit until the full, $1,000 amount was paid.

“Well, it was kind of like extortion, the threat that he’s not gonna be buried unless we come up with the money before, or we have to bury him somewhere else and not next his wife,” Steven said.

The city said it can’t make exceptions because city taxes fund the cemetery.

Truman shared guidance for people that would like to change the ordinance impacting Emmit Hipps’ burial cost.

“I would say bring it to your councilman. We’re not above looking at it again,” he said.

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