Johnson County Government approves its 2025 budget

The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners adopted a FY 2025 budget that maintains high quality services, invests in capital improvements and includes the reserves needed to protect the county's Triple AAA bond rating. The county achieved this and a .25 mill levy rollback, despite inflationary pressures, flattening revenue streams and a growing population creating more demand on services.

The adopted budget totals slightly more than $1.81 billion. It is made up of $1.37 billion in expenditures and $448.6 million in reserves. The Triple AAA bond ratings those reserves help us achieve translates into lower interest rates on Johnson County bond issues, saving taxpayers more than $27 million since 2011.

"I appreciate the robust public engagement with this year's budget process," said Chairman Mike Kelly. "The annual budget is the most important policy decision that the Board of County Commissioners makes annually, and I value those who lent their voices to shaping our priorities for the coming year. I'm proud that our budget maintains excellent public services and supports our aging and vulnerable residents. I look forward to continued efforts to balance our revenue sources, maintain a structurally sound budget, and provide relief to our taxpayers."

The 2025 budget continues ongoing efforts toalign with the Board's priorities and feedback from the county's annual community survey.

"This is a fiscally responsible budget that implements the Board's priorities, maintains outstanding public services and provides the high quality of life that our residents deserve," said County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson. "We will continue to evaluate and develop multi-year fiscal solutions moving forward. I appreciate all of the hard work staff and the Board have done over the past several months on developing a sound budget despite a challenging financial landscape."

Reducing the county mill levy

The FY 2025 budget includes an estimated total property tax levy of 24.086 mills. It is a 0.274 mill reduction from the current levy. After appeals to residential and commercial appraisals are finalized and the county calculates the final assessed value of all property, the mill levy is estimated to land at 24.110 (a 0.250 mill levy reduction for the county taxing district.)

This is the seventh mill levy reduction in eight years. Since 2017, the county has reduced the mill levy by 2.521 mills resulting in collecting, cumulatively, $39.5 million less in annual property tax. The Johnson County taxing district has had the lowest rate among the state's 105 counties for several years.

Highlights of the FY 2025 budget

• $500,000 in funding for food and in-home services
• $245,000 from other project savings to add one-time funding for energy efficiencies measures
• $144,000 in one-time funding from reserves (no new funding for FY 2025) for Aging and Human Services for utility assistance.
• A second year of one-time funding from reserves for the successful Landlord Housing Voucher Incentive and the District Court's Eviction Mediation pilot programs.

In the county's continued efforts to retain and recruit county employees in a tight and competitive labor market, the budget includes a 3.5% merit pool and a 1% market increase for the county's pay table. The Sheriff's Office and MED-ACT step plans are also funded.

The budget includes 4,355.61 FTE (full-time equivalent) employees with new FTEs to include:

• 12 FTEs for Mental Health to support several of its programs and one Mental Health co-responder for the Sheriff's Office
• Seven new MED-ACT crew members to support ambulance service in Olathe before the opening of a new station in 2026
• One diversion case officer for the District Attorney's Office and one substance abuse counselor for the Department of Corrections
• One Johnson County Developmental Supports shared living coordinator to explore new housing options for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities and one Community Behavioral Health team member
• One IT security architect to support mitigating technology risks, including cybersecurity.

Investing in public infrastructure

The 2025 budget's Capital Improvement Program totals $382 million with 65.3% involving wastewater projects, including ongoing improvements at the Nelson Wastewater Treatment Facility in Mission. Other CIP funding includes:

• $26.3 million for phase IV in continued development of the New Century Commerce Center
• $22 million for the Stormwater Management Program
• $19.8 million for Park and Recreation capital projects and $6 million for its capital replacement program
• $18.5 million for the County Assistance Road System (CARS) program
• $3.7 million for library capital replacement projects and $1.7 million for its Comprehensive Master Plan
• $2.2 million for the bridge, culvert and road program

Next Steps

The final setting of the FY 2025 mill levy will be established by the end of October. Tax statements will include final mill levies for Johnson County's three taxing districts and all other local taxing entities, such as the state of Kansas, cities or school districts. Johnson County property owners will receive their tax statements after Nov. 1. The county's fiscal year begins on Jan. 1, 2025. More information is available at jocogov.org/budget.

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